


Spicy Curry

by arimi_skywalker



Series: Spicy Series [1]
Category: Arashi - Fandom, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cheating, Curry, Drama & Romance, Fluff and Angst, Guilt, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2012-10-25
Packaged: 2017-12-27 16:28:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 76,560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/981109
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arimi_skywalker/pseuds/arimi_skywalker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Ohno

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It had been like that for some time, Sho and I hardly ever saw each other at home.

He runs his own company and needs to spend time taking care of it, while I’ve been working the afternoon shift in the same kissaten for almost six years now. Seeing each other was complicated. I needed to have an early lunch to start my shift at one, while it was impossible for Sho to come back before three.

That’s when he was able to make it home, of course.

I usually would make lunch for two and leave Sho’s plate in the fridge, often to find it untouched when I came back home. It had been like that for the two years we had been together, and I was starting to feel as if I was not wanted in Sho’s life.

"Sho...", I said that morning while we were having breakfast.

"Hm?", he replied with that sweet soft expression of his.

"I feel like we haven’t done anything special together in a while..."

Sho’s expression became pensive, as if he was trying to remember the last time we had done something together, and he finally nodded. Then he looked at me.

"Do you want to have dinner tonight?"

I nodded.

"Of course I want to, but we have dinner together quite often"

"I’m speaking about a special dinner", he clarified flashing a gentlemanly smile.

"Oh! Are you taking me out?"

Suddenly I felt nervous and I could swear my eyes started to sparkle with excitement, though it lasted only the time it took him to respond.

"No. We’ll stay here"

I made some kind of face that made him chuckle.

"I will leave work early, so we can drop by the supermarket, buy the ingredients to make curry and then prepare it together at home. What do you think?"

I couldn’t help but smile like an idiot while nodding, showing I absolutely agreed with the plan.

Sho knew me like no one else. He knew how much I enjoy eating curry and spend time at home, more than anywhere else. He knew that it was in our apartment where I felt most comfortable, where I could act naturally, without my shyness playing tricks on me.

That afternoon he picked me up at work, at half past six.

He was lost in his own thoughts when I came out of the kissaten to find him there, waiting for me. He turned his head exactly when he heard the door opening, and looked at me. With that intensity only his look has. I felt my legs flagging, my breathing getting heavier and my heart beating faster. No doubt I had chosen him to be my partner in life.

"Hi...", he said with a warm smile, almost shy.

"You’ve come"

"I promised I would, didn’t I?"

"Hm", it was all I could manage to say as I slightly nodded, distracted.

I had replied to his words almost automatically while staring at him. There was something different in his eyes. A special shine that attracted me like a moth to a flame, and it wasn’t allowing me to think properly or pay attention to anything else but his face. Sho’s face. My lover, my friend, my partner, my other half.

I wanted to throw my arms around his neck and slowly kiss his lips, right there, in the middle of the street. I so wanted to do it. I wanted to feel him. I wanted to forget about the world with such a strong will that I don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t interrupted my thoughts.

"Shall we go? We still need to drop by the supermarket to buy everything we need for our dinner"

As if I had just been awoken from a dream, I blinked, coming back to reality, only to nod and start walking by Sho’s side towards his car.

I smiled while hopping into the car and made myself comfortable. Not having to take the train back home was almost a blessing for me, since I hate crowded indoor places.

Sho didn’t stop talking during our ride back home. He was telling me about some issues in his company. Apparently, one of the servers had broken down leaving more than three million users without service. I didn’t understand half the words he was using, but I listened carefully to all he had to say.

I knew how important that company was to him, how hard it had been to make things work on his own, without any kind of help, and that was something I really admired in him. But I also knew that sometimes he thought about his work more than he should.

He used to wake up every day at six in the morning, take a shower, get dressed and have a quick breakfast in ten minutes. I always tried to wake up and have breakfast with him, at least give him a good morning kiss and make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind. Then he would leave the house and I would go back to bed until nine, when I woke up, I did all my errands (daily shopping, laundry, lunch for both of us, etc.), and then I left for work. When I came back, the apartment was still as empty as I had left it after lunch, since it was rare to see Sho home before eight or nine.

But that was a special day. Despite having all those issues he was telling me about, he had kept his promise and picked me up at half past six. The least I could do was listen and try to support him.

When we made it home, Sho changed into more comfortable clothes and we went down the supermarket together. We were joking and laughing the whole way there, we even kind of flirted with each other. Being able to enjoy a night like that after more than two years together was simply wonderful. Not only did we understand each other perfectly and needed one another to face the everyday, but we still wanted each other the same as the very first day we’d met.

We bought fresh vegetables, first quality beef and rice at the supermarket. We were going to cook together, so I wanted to capture a flavor that would leave its mark on Sho, one that would make him feel just how special that night was for me. Though I think he already knew. The way he was smiling to me and the tenderness in his eyes, he had to know it.

Since he was there with me, we bought some other things we needed and I couldn’t carry back home on my own. Not because I am weak, but because there were too many items and they were way too heavy.

When we were finally at the cashier, emptying our shopping cart, Sho’s cellphone started to ring. He ignored it the first time, but it rang a second and a third time, so he ended up pulling it out from his pocket and checking if it was the same person calling so insistently.

It was from his company.

He apologized with his eyes, almost begging for permission to call back and see what was happening, just when the phone started ringing again. I sighed and gestured him to go and answer his phone.  
I didn’t relish on the idea of his employees calling him that late and so insistently, but that was exactly the reason why I knew Sho had to take that call. Otherwise, he would be worried for the rest of the night and we wouldn’t be able to enjoy it together.

A young guy with dark hair was finishing bagging our groceries when Sho came back inside. His look was even more pleading than it had been before, as he tried to explain that it was urgent, that he had to go back to the company right away.

"Now?", I frowned. "But we were going to make dinner together and..."

I sighed. It didn’t matter anymore.

"I know, I know", Sho replied clearly anxious. "If it wasn’t serious, you know I wouldn’t go. Not on our special night"

"Can’t it wait until tomorrow? It’s only a few hours", my voice sounded frustrated and sad.

"Those few hours are crucial in this matter, Satoshi. We had a problem with another one of the servers and the engineer working the night shift can’t solve it by himself. Please, try to understand. The future of the company depends on what I do tonight. If users don’t have a service until tomorrow and word starts spreading around, we’re done. No one will ever request our services anymore"

I sighed again, resigned this time.

"OK, I understand", I looked at him. "But promise me you will try to make it back in time for dinner, even if it’s at nine or ten. I don’t want to waste what we just bought"

Sho smiled gratefully, even though his eyes showed he was feeling guilty.

He told the young guy at the checkout to deliver the shopping to our home the next day as he kissed my forehead, making my cheeks turn slightly pink, before giving me ten thousand yen and promising he would come back as soon as possible.

And there I was, left alone once again, watching Sho leaving the supermarket, while the young cashier grabbed a cardboard box and started placing our shopping inside.

"Is there anything you would like to take with you now?", he asked when he had already put the heavier things in the box.

"Eh?", I looked at him, confused for a moment. I had almost forgotten where I was.

"If there’s anything you would like to take with you now, sir"

I looked around and I remembered about the curry.

"Ah, yes. This, this and this", I said pointing at the vegetables and the beef, and touching the pack of rice.

"Understood", he replied with a gentle yet captivating smile.

When he reached out to grab the same package I was touching, he slightly brushed his hand against mine, in an accidental gesture. A shiver traveled down my spine and I noticed how it made the hair of my arms stand on end.

I looked at him, with my hand still on the package of rice and his hand on mine, and I could briefly recognize a mischievous smile on his lips which he immediately tried to conceal and replace with a kind one.

"I’m sorry", he said, finally taking his hand away and bowing.

"I-It’s OK"

Why was my voice quivering?

I moved my hand away from the rice as well, so he could place it inside the bag, and I waited. I didn’t want to look at him, but I couldn’t help it. And every time I shot a brief, almost clandestine, look at him, I had him chuckling somewhere among shy and playful.

When he finished placing everything inside the box and the bag, he told me the total amount to pay. I used the money Sho had just given me and left, defeated and downcast, dragging my feet down the street.

I didn’t feel like preparing an awesome curry anymore, not without Sho.

When I was about to turn around the first corner, I heard steps rushing up from behind and a voice that called out in my direction.

"Sumimasen!"

I turned around and saw the guy from the supermarket running down the street, carrying something in his hands. He stopped in front of me, breathing heavily.

"You forgot this"

He had completely dropped the formal speech, even though we didn’t know each other, and he was handing me what he had brought: a pack of curry sauce.

"I didn’t buy this", was my polite reply.

"It’s a gift from the supermarket for spending more than five thousand yen", he explained with the same gentle smile he had shown before. "I could have delivered it tomorrow together with the rest of your things, but I thought that maybe you would need it today"

"Eh?"

"You bought all the ingredients to make curry", he said pointing at the bag I was carrying. "But you forgot the sauce"

I grabbed the package, somewhat confused and surprised, and I thanked him. He smiled once again that free casual smile that made me feel jealous somehow, and then he disappeared up the street.

For some reason, I couldn’t feel my legs, and my heart was beating fast.

I was standing there on the street, looking at that package of curry sauce, wondering what the hell had just happened.


	2. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I cursed myself as I drove.  
  
Satoshi had looked so sad that morning when he mentioned we hadn’t done anything special together for a long time. I considered it for a while and realized he was right. I hadn’t even noticed until then, but several months had passed since the last time Satoshi and I had had a day for us.  
  
I couldn’t fix it right away because we were in the middle of the business week. I wish I could get Wednesday off! And there was no way I could cancel that Saturday morning meeting noted in my agenda, so escaping somewhere for the weekend wasn’t an option either.  
  
_Think, Sho, think._  
  
_You can’t send everything to hell, but Satoshi is sad. You can’t leave him like that._  
  
_Think, think, think. There has to be a solution._  
  
_Ah, I know!_  
  
"Do you want to have dinner tonight?", I said.  
  
I knew what his reply would be, so I wasn’t surprised to see how he nodded without thinking, despite not knowing what was really behind my words.  
  
Satoshi is like that. He hates causing trouble to others.  
  
That’s why I smiled amusedly when I explained our special dinner would be at home and he replied with an annoyed face. The way he tried to express his feelings without hurting mine and how he ended up frustrated with himself was terribly adorable.  
  
I felt selfish for wanting to extend that moment a bit longer, for wanting to see his beautiful huffy face for a few more seconds, so I ended up explaining my plan to him: I would leave work early, even if the company was breaking into pieces, pick him up at his workplace (something I had only done a few times before) and we would then go and buy the ingredients to make that curry he enjoys more than any luxury food.  
  
The way his eyes lit up and his expression changed from frustrated to satisfied was one of the most captivating sights I’ve ever witnessed. The way his pretty features softened and gave way to that smile I hadn’t seen in months was more precious to me than any ‘thank you’ he could have said.  
  
That’s why I couldn’t forgive myself for being in that car now, on my way to the company, instead of home preparing curry with him.  
  
Truth is my employees needed me, it was a serious situation and I didn’t have a choice. I was bound hand and foot. But I couldn’t stand seeing that sad tense face on Satoshi as I stepped out of the supermarket, when I left him alone on what was supposed to be our special night.  
  
I promised him I would come back as soon as possible, yes... So what? I had already ruined our night, even if it wasn’t of my own free will, and there was no turning back now. I was the one responsible for his sadness, even though I was probably the person who most wanted to see him happy in this world.  
  
I wanted to see his happy carefree face, smiling relaxed like that day, when I met him for first time at the lake...

 

 

***

 

  
_My employees think I’m a workaholic who thinks too much about work, so they decided to get me a weekend away from the city, at Lake Kasumigaura._  
  
_I guess their idea was to have me unwind completely from work for a couple of days, but I wouldn’t be able to relax if I didn’t have a way to check everything was fine. That company has cost me countless sleepless nights, large investments when I didn’t even know if it was going to be eventually profitable, arguments with banks, clients, employees... it seems inconceivable to me at least not to call to make sure things are OK._  
  
_That’s why I took my cellphone and my laptop with me._  
  
_People are not supposed to take their work devices along on a relaxing weekend, and even less a wireless USB connection, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep if I didn’t do it. It’s more than I can bear. I need to have everything under control or my insecure nature starts to torment me._  
  
_I left Tokyo on a Friday night after work and reached Kasumigaura in little more than two hours. It was spring and the atmosphere was warm and pleasant, but I was so tired I only had a light snack and went straight to bed. I would have enough time in the next couple of days to explore the area._  
  
_On Saturday I woke up early, but surprisingly refreshed. It was as if my body knew what I was going to do that day: nothing. Relax, have a walk, enjoy the local food and maybe go down the lake to see if any amateur fishermen had pulled in a catch._  
  
_I tried to take things easy that morning. Take a long shower, have my time making use of the creams and other commodities offered, dry my hair without any rush, get dressed slowly... But it turned out I was ready in ten minutes._  
  
_Who was I trying to fool? My daily routine for the past years wasn’t going to be that easy to break from. It was so early in the morning that none of the local attractions were open yet, so I resigned myself and went downstairs to have breakfast just to go out later and have a little walk around the lake, after making the customary call to my company._  
  
_I met several middle-aged men fishing on the lakeshore, all of them so focused on their activity that I felt I was bothering them by simply walking near them._  
  
_But the one who caught my eye was a younger one._  
  
_He was sitting down on a small folding chair and had several fishing poles around, all different. I don’t know a single thing about fishing, but the elegance and precision he exhibited when casting the pole and reeling the line in were obvious._  
  
_And the expression on his face was fascinating._  
  
_Relaxed. Oblivious to the rest of the world. Happy._  
  
_I couldn’t help staring at him for several minutes, running my eyes over each and every one of his features. He wasn’t what you would call striking at first sight, but after taking a closer look, he turned out to be quite attractive, so much that I couldn’t take my eyes off him. Off his hands, with long elegant fingers; off his skin, which was a shade darker than normal for a Japanese man; off his black almond-shaped eyes, focused somewhere on the lake; off his nose, which was maybe a little bit hooked despite not being too big, and his lips. Those lips I wanted to kiss right then and there._  
  
_Partly due shyness and partly out of respect, I observed that guy keeping my distance. While I was there, observing his features and his fishing habits, no fish had taken the bait, and that had awoken my curiosity._  
  
_Usually I am a very impatient person, but I found myself waiting in silence for more than two hours for that stranger to catch something that day (maybe because I knew I had a lot of free time in my hands). I became so focused on his way of casting the pole and reeling the line in that it took me several minutes to realize he had started glancing at me out of the corner of his eye._  
  
_He looked annoyed, or at least uncomfortable by my presence._  
  
_"Sorry...", I apologized almost automatically. It’s been a habit of mine since childhood. "Am I bothering you?"_  
  
_"N-no", he replied. "I was just wondering how come you aren’t bored after all this time. Nothing’s biting today"_  
  
_I noticed his cheeks turning a slight shade of pink, and that caused me to smile tenderly._  
  
_"That’s why I’m still here. If you don’t mind, I would like to be here when you catch something. You know, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone as young as you fish stylishly. I’m curious about the moment you finally pull a fish out"_  
  
_My gestures while trying to imitate casting the pole and reeling the line in were more an attempt of conceal my own shyness than to be funny, but he might have found it amusing because he chuckled._  
  
_"I don’t mind. Actually, you’re keeping me company"_  
  
_I have to admit that, out of all the replies in this world, maybe that was the only one I wasn’t expecting. I guess that’s why I didn’t hesitate to run back to the lake house and come back with my laptop and cell phone. It was an impulse I couldn’t control._  
  
_That short but well-proportioned guy looked at me as if I was an alien when he saw what I was bringing with me, but then he cracked a smile again. That youthful fresh smile was driving me crazy._  
  
_We didn’t exchange any more words._  
  
_I sat on the grass, leaning my back against a tree by the shore, and I opened my laptop. While he was fishing, I worked. We didn’t say anything to each other but I felt comfortable and, what’s even more important, relaxed. I was actually paying more attention to what he was doing than to my own work._  
  
_For first time in my life, I felt free._  
  
_Only with the expression on his face, that guy was able to transmit very intense sensations to me, and even though I was puzzled, it attracted me so much at the same time that I found myself wishing I could always be like that with him._  
  
_It was insane._  
  
_I didn’t know him at all, I didn’t even know his name, and I was already thinking about spending the rest of my life with him? Undoubtedly, the mountain air had driven me crazy. Leaving my normal environment had definitely done something to my brain, and now I could only think about hysterical things that a methodical rational guy like me wouldn’t even consider in a normal situation._  
  
_I tried to tell myself that I should control myself, that it was just a temporary state of euphoria caused by my relaxation, and that everything would go back to normal before I could realize it._  
  
_That was when he started pulling the pole, firmly reeling the line in, without a pause. And he showed that genuine smile of his. That smile that laid the final blow to my already stolen heart and made it his forever. That smile that moved something within me that had been asleep for the longest time, or maybe I didn’t even know it existed. That smile that confirmed I absolutely wanted him by my side. Forever._  
  
_"YEEEEEEEESSSS!!!", I shouted jumping up, without thinking, and raising my arms in a gesture of celebration. He finally had a bite!_  
  
_With all the bustle inside my mind and the excitement of the moment, I forgot that I had my laptop resting on my knees. And because I suddenly stood up, it went flying._  
  
_"NOOOOOOOOO!!!", I screamed while my hands flew to my head as I watched how my laptop sunk under the water._  
  
_I observed the scene with horror and stood up, with my hands still on my head, my eyes wide and mouth agape. I couldn’t believe it. My computer, my laptop, my work tool. It was a disaster. How was I going to work the rest of the weekend now? This couldn’t be happening._  
  
_It was a fresh, youthful chuckle, somewhere between shy and amused, that took me out of my own thoughts and made me turn around to see where it was coming from. Though I already knew it. That guy was looking over at me feeling sorry, but he was wearing a bright, white smile._  
  
_Almost without realizing it, I started to laugh with him, feeling stupid and embarrassed. How could I be so clumsy? I had just sunk my laptop into a lake seven meters deep. I was hopeless._  
  
_"My name is Ohno Satoshi", he said, still smiling._  
  
_Once again, I was caught off guard._  
  
_"I am... Sakurai Sho", I replied, unable to hold back a smile myself._  
  
_Ohno Satoshi._  
  
_I was never going to forget that name._  
  
_Nor that smile._

 

 

***

 

 

I couldn’t help remembering that day wistfully as I was driving.  
  
Satoshi hardly ever smiled that fresh happy smile anymore. And I found myself thinking that maybe I was the reason behind it.  
  
I speeded up.  
  
I wanted to reach the company as soon as possible, fix whatever was happening to that damn server and go back home. With Satoshi.  
  
And make him smile.


	3. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

When I got home, it was empty as always.

I left the bag with the ingredients to make curry on the kitchen table and looked around. Silence. There was no trace of Sho. And a part of me sighed in disappointment, as if it had been waiting to find him there.

I glanced over at the clock on the wall. Half past seven.

I sighed again as I opened the bag and took the groceries out, including that package of curry sauce. I stared at it for a brief moment and smiled.

Spicy, the one I liked best.

It was the first time the supermarket had given me anything for free, and it had been a great choice. Plus, that guy had taken the trouble to run after me just to make sure I got it in time.

Maybe the fact that Sho had received that call, causing me to have to set aside the ingredients to make the curry, had been a fortunate twist of fate. After all, we had forgotten all about the sauce, but that cashier had noticed it.

I would have to thank him the next day.

Just minutes before I had been so surprised to see him running down the street holding the curry package that I hadn’t had time to react, and now thanks to him I was able to prepare the curry and have it ready when Sho came back.

_Sho..._

Was he at the company yet? Would he be able to fix the issue they’d encountered?

As I was chopping the vegetables and the beef, I couldn’t help but remembering the weekend we first met more than two years ago. Time really flies!

Sho had found me fishing at Lake Kasumigaura that Saturday morning. I used to go there very often, for two years mostly every weekend when I didn’t have work, and I always stayed in the same place: a little log house with rooms rented by the day.

Several times I had met other men who went fishing as often as they could, like me. But that day it was the first time I had seen Sho. I knew it to be so because I would have remembered him among a million people if we had seen each other before, even if it was only because he was so endearingly clumsy. And he had a lot of patience.

He spent the whole morning in silence, watching me fish for hours.

I love fishing and I enjoy it like a little kid. When I go to Kasumigaura, I wake up at sunrise and I go down the lake and spend the whole day there, though I always get the impression that I’ve only been there a couple of hours. Even so, I’ll admit it’s a boring activity if you’re a mere spectator.

I myself can’t endure more than a few minutes watching another person fish. But Sho stood there the whole morning, even though no fish were taking the bait.

I glanced over at the clock again. Eight o’clock.

Had it really been only half an hour? The wait was beginning to feel like an eternity to me.

As I placed the vegetables and beef inside the pot and started to stew them, I remembered I had been a little shameless glancing at Sho out of the corner of my eye in Kasumigaura. But I had never had any regrets because thanks to that, we started speaking and he ended up taking his laptop to the lake to work while he watched me fish.

I remember I thought he might be a very busy person if he had to work there, and the way he typed made him look so serious and smart. But something about his face made me think there was much more behind that workaholic exterior.

I wasn’t wrong.

When I finally had a bite, he jumped and celebrated as if he had caught that fish himself. He had his hands up in the air and a wide smile on his face as he shouted with excitement. He was so happy for me that he forgot all about his own laptop and made it fly into the lake, where it sunk in just a second.

I didn’t know how to react, but seeing his face as he saw how his laptop sank made me feel something warm inside and brought a smile to my face. I think I actually chuckled because he turned around to look at me and ended up chuckling as well.

At that moment, my heart started beating fast.

And I told him my name.

He was a stranger, I didn’t know him at all, until a couple of hours back I had never even seen him in my life, but I wanted to tell him my name. And I wanted to know his. Though I didn’t have to ask for it.

He invited me to lunch, but I wanted to keep fishing for a while so I replied that maybe some other time and that I would have lunch by the lake. He nodded and went back to the house we were both staying in.

To my surprise, he came back around half an hour later with two bentos.

He said he would have loved to make lunch himself, but he was hopeless and always ended up in trouble when he tried to cook, so he had bought a lunchbox for both of us instead. And beer. And a pudding for each of us.

I glanced over at the clock once again. Half past eight.

Was it me or the clock was working slower that night?

It couldn’t be possible that only an hour had passed since I had reached home. I had had time to chop the ingredients, stew them and remember all those moments with Sho. How could it be it was only half past eight?

I added the instant curry mix to the pot and let it cook over a low heat, and I took the opportunity to check the batteries of the clock. They were probably about to die, that’s why it was running so slow.

When I replaced them, I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket to set the clock right...

Quarter to nine.

The batteries weren’t running low, it really had been only an hour.

Why couldn’t time go by faster now instead of during that weekend at the lake when I felt my heart beating faster with each word or gesture from Sho?

If someone had been watching us, they would have probably said our afternoon had been nothing out of the ordinary after eating that bento and pudding, but it had been very special to me. I spent it fishing, like every other afternoon in Kasumigaura, but that day Sakurai Sho was with me, sitting under that tree without doing or saying anything.

I felt comfortable. Protected. Accompanied.

Sakurai Sho was not only a handsome guy addicted to his work, he was also attentive, kind, generous and even a bit naive in some ways.

When night fell, he saw me to the door of my bedroom and asked me if I wanted to have breakfast with him the next morning. I accepted, of course. I wanted to see him, hear his voice, fish with him by my side. Once again. One more day.

_Sho..._

A voice inside me called him while I was standing there, stirring the curry in the kitchen I had shared with him for more than two years, a kitchen so big and empty without him.

I had another look at the clock. Quarter past nine.

Sho had promised to be back in time for dinner, but it was starting to get late. I finished the curry and put it aside, next to the pot with the rice I had also prepared.

I tidied up the kitchen so everything would be clean and neat when he arrived. I put the dirty dishes inside the dishwasher and threw the empty curry package away.

Half past nine. And the house was so empty. Still in that silence that made me feel small and vulnerable.

When I opened the trash can to throw away some other remnants, I found a note stuck to the back of the empty curry package. It was handwritten.

I froze.

Ninomiya Kazunari was the supermarket guy.

I was surprised I remembered the nametag on his uniform and the kanji written in it. OK, it was not a common name, but I did remember it all too clearly, as if he had been in my life for ages.

And was it so obvious to him I was feeling alone? Why wasn’t it so obvious to Sho then? Why wasn’t Sho the one saying those words to me? You don’t have to feel alone...

I looked at that note again.

I couldn’t leave it stuck to the curry package inside the trash can. If Sho saw it he might think I had caused that situation myself somehow, and we already had enough problems. We didn’t need to add an extra one.

No. That was an excuse.

I could leave it stuck to the curry package inside the trash can. But I didn’t want to.

I removed it carefully, folded it up and put it inside my wallet.

I checked the clock once again. Ten o’clock. Sho should be almost home.

I felt uneasy and agitated as I walked to the living room and sat on one of the couches. I pulled my cellphone out and left it on the table before bending my legs to my chest and wrapping my arms around them. I smiled. It wouldn’t be long now for Sho to get home. I wanted to believe he would keep his promise.

But time passed by and Sho didn’t come home.

I turned the TV on. I was in no way able to pay attention to the dorama Sho and I used to watch together every Wednesday night. What for? I wouldn’t enjoy it. Not when the curry and the rice were already cold in the kitchen and I was starting to get impatient, starting to feel too alone in that house, where silence and darkness permeated every corner except the living room.

Not when I had an irrepressible urge to cry. To scream. To go crazy and break everything around me.

_Sho, Sho... Where are you?_

I glanced at my watch. Quarter to eleven.

_It’s over._

I couldn’t stand that loneliness, that silence, that uncertainty. I was burning inside. What if Sho was having problems with that thing at work? What if he didn’t come home until the next morning, as it had already happened so many times before?

I hid my face between my knees and bit my lower lip, trying to control the tears that were fighting to roll down my cheeks. But it was in vain. I was feeling so alone and forgotten they were impossible to hold back.

I grabbed my cellphone, pulled my wallet out of my pocket and looked at the note that had been stuck to the curry package all along without me noticing.

What if it was a sign?

Maybe I hadn’t seen that the solution had been in front of me the entire time.

I remembered Ninomiya’s gentleness when he brushed his hand against mine earlier that evening. It was obvious he hadn’t left me indifferent because I hadn’t been able to stop shooting brief looks at him since then. And he was smiling so mischievously. He was so different from Sho and his innocent smile.

I unfolded the note and read it again.

_You don’t have to feel alone when he’s not there._

I didn’t want to wait for Sho in that empty house anymore.

_Feel alone... when he’s not there..._

I couldn’t bear it anymore. I was going crazy.

_Ninomiya Kazunari..._

He would fill the void Sho had left.

I started to dial his number.

_9... 0... 8... 7... 4... 3... 5... 8..._

"Tadaima~~"

My heart jumped.

It was Sho.


	4. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I ran upstairs.

There was no time to call and wait for the elevator. I only wanted to reach home and see Satoshi. My Satoshi. The one who helped me breathe after spending hours suffocated at the company, the one who made a million butterflies flutter in my stomach every day when I came home, the one who made me forget everything else the moment I saw his face. The one who gave me strength to face the world every day.

_Satoshi... Satoshi... Satoshi..._

_I want to see you..._

My hands trembled nervously and impatiently as I fumbled for the keys inside my pocket, and unlocking the door turned out to be one of the challenges of the day. I was unable to control my pulse and be right on point.

_Breathe, Sho, breathe._

_Bingo!_

The key fit into the lock, the door opened and I walked into the house as if I had just come back from a trip around the world.

"Tadaima~~", I said with elation.

_Satoshi, we can still enjoy tonight together. Let’s forget about everything._

_Come here. Hold me. Kiss me._

_Satoshi... Satoshi... Satoshi?_

"Okaeri", he replied in a sullen voice as he stuck his head out the living room.

I took off my shoes clumsily as I was anxious to hug him and I practically flew down the little stretch of corridor to get where he was.

He didn’t move at all and I, instead of embracing him, just stood there.

I looked at him frowning in confusion, trying to read his features, the expression on his face, the look in his eyes, but he had his head down and was staring at the floor.

"Satoshi...", I started to say. "I’m sorry... I know you’re angry and...", I sighed.

I scratched my head almost desperate, searching to find the right words.

"I’m not angry", he interrupted.

He looked up and his dark eyes went right through me. My heart jumped. I felt small inside when I saw they were glassy, red and swollen. Had he been crying?

My hand instinctively moved to one of his cheeks and gently caressed it.

"You’ve been crying", I said, my heart broken by the dull look in his eyes. "Did I make you feel that bad?"

A tear rolled down the cheek my hand was caressing, causing what little resolve he had left to break into a million pieces right in front of me. He hugged me tight, clinging to my shirt so desperately I could feel how his soul was cracking against my chest. And he broke down and cried like a baby.

I wrapped him in my arms.

I felt his pain and wanted to make it disappear, make him feel I was there with him, that I wasn’t going to let him fall into pieces, no matter how violent the tempest was. We were in the same boat together.

"Sho", he sobbed. "I need you... I need you..."

Those words pierced through my heart so deeply he didn’t have to say another word.

Satoshi needed me in the broadest, most complete and most literal sense, and I wasn’t going to let him down. I wanted to make his pain mine and gently soothe it away until it ceased to exist, so that his heart and soul would be at ease again.

I moved away enough to take his face in my hands, look him in the eyes and kiss his lips with all the love I felt for him. I put each and every one of my senses into that kiss, giving free reign to my feelings, saying a million ‘I love you’s’ to him with my lips. He tightened his grip around me, firmly holding me, letting me know he was feeling me.

"Let’s go to the bedroom...", he whispered.

I nodded, grabbed his hand and gently pulled him along with me to the bedroom.

Satoshi himself had made the bed that morning, clearly being careful because it was so perfect it looked as though no one had ever slept in it, but neither of us cared about messing it up now.

We had barely entered the room when Satoshi pushed me onto the bed and straddled my lower half. He captured my lips in a passionate kiss, deeper than the one I had given him in the corridor, while I placed my hands on his waist. I think he liked it because he sighed with desire and began moving his hips, even though we were both still dressed.

I lost track of reality.

My hands slipped under his clothes, caressing his warm soft back, as his hands flew over my shirt, skillfully unbuttoning it. I didn’t take long to imitate him and quickly got rid of his shirt, revealing the smooth skin of his arms, his chest, his stomach, his neck... I couldn’t help but running my fingertips over his body, drawing each shape, feeling every inch.

My shirt soon joined his, and it didn’t take long for our pants to end up in the messy pile of clothes that was starting to form on the floor. We didn’t care if my shirt wrinkled or his pants got dirty. We were busy, we had something important in our hands: each other’s feelings.

Hands flew over skin, eagerly, impatiently, almost desperately, and lips followed shortly after them. Caresses, kisses, the exchange of feelings, everything was so intense that night on that bed I felt as if my heart was going to burst at any moment.

We were hungry for each other.

Underwear slid down almost naturally, leaving room only for our nakedness within those four walls. There were no servers, laptops or cellphones, just Satoshi and I, our feelings and our desire to melt into each other. To be one again.

Our roles had switched. Now Satoshi was the one lying down on the bed while I was the one in control. I trailed kisses down his neck as my fingers explored his inner thighs, gently caressing him, giving him a subtle sign of what was about to come.

"Don’t stop", he ordered as if he could read my mind.

I smiled against the skin of his collarbone, where my lips had been busy kissing eagerly, and I prepared him. Slowly, giving him time to get used to the sensation. Then I parted his legs just enough for him to be comfortable and I placed myself between them to carefully introduce myself inside of him. He was so warm.

His face told me when he was ready so I could start moving with a steady rhythm. Although he was trembling so beautifully beneath me I wasn’t able to maintain control for very long. He moaned, sighed, called out my name, and moaned again. He was driving me crazy, and that was obvious in the fast and furious, though firm, way I was moving towards the end.

_Satoshi... Oh, Satoshi!_

We wound up lying in bed, next to one another, I had my arms wrapped around his naked body, and we were looking at each other. He didn’t say it aloud, but I could feel his pain had subsided; his soul didn’t scream out desperately anymore like it had when I first got home. Now it was calm, quiet.

How the hell could I stop time? I had to know.

"I made the curry", Satoshi’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. "Though it’s probably cold by now"

A youthful chuckle, like a breath of fresh air, escaped from his lips, and I smiled like an idiot. I hadn’t heard it in such a long time.

"We’ll heat it up in the microwave, don’t worry", I replied sweeping a few wet bangs off his forehead.

"Are you hungry? We can have dinner now, if you want to"

"I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hungry, but I prefer to stay here"

"OK..."

A stomach rumbled in that moment. And it wasn’t mine.

I chuckled amused. Satoshi blushed and hid his face against my chest.

"You’re starving"

"I can put up with it", he said still hiding. "I prefer to stay here as well"

"Come on, let’s go have dinner. You get in a bad mood when you’re hungry", I chuckled.

"It’s not funny", he chuckled too despite his words.

"Why are you chuckling then?"

"I’m not chuckling!", he protested looking up at me. "Well... yes..."

We laughed together this time.

I rubbed his waist in an affectionate gesture and gave him a little pat on his ass. I couldn’t help it, I loved Satoshi’s rear. So round and soft.

"Hey, I’m not a cow. What’s with slapping my ass?"

I laughed as I got up and walked to the bathroom to get our bathrobes. I put mine on and then I held his in my hands, to help him put it on.

"What are you then?", I asked playing along with him as he got up and approached me.

"A caterpillar"

"A caterpillar?", I asked amused.

He nodded as he turned around in front of me and I covered his nakedness with that warm bathrobe.

"Do caterpillars eat curry?", I insisted.

"Of course they do. And yakiniku", he chuckled.

"What kind of caterpillars do you know?"

We both laughed again as we headed to the kitchen.

Satoshi wanted to prepare everything himself, but I didn’t allow him. Just for one night he was going to sit down and wait for me to serve him dinner. He deserved it. For all the times he left me food in the fridge and I didn’t have time to go back home and eat it, for all the times he had to wait for me alone at night, and for the tears I had made him shed that night.

I served curry and rice on two plates and heated them up as I grabbed two spoons and two glasses. I placed everything on the table, poured some water for the two of us and then finally brought over the plates with the hot curry.

I sat down in front of Satoshi and smiled.

"Itadakimasu", I said putting my hands together before eating.

"Itadakimasu", he replied with the spoon already half way to his mouth.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

How Satoshi enjoyed food, especially curry, was impossible to describe. He looked extremely happy.

"Mmm!!", I exclaimed when I tried the first spoonful. "This is really good"

"The guy from the supermarket gave me this sauce", he replied.

"The guy from the supermarket?"

"Yes. Ninomiya"

"Ninomiya?", I tried to remember someone by that name. Then I realized, it might be the guy at the checkout. "Ah! The cashier?"

Satoshi nodded distracted.

"I had already left the supermarket and he had to run down the street to make sure I got it. He said it was a gift for making a large purchase, and truth is it came in handy. Did you know we had forgotten to buy the curry sauce?"

"Oh, we should thank him then"

"I will next time I see him"

We spoke about some other things while we ate that spicy curry. His job, my job, the results of the latest baseball match, the offers in the supermarket, the concert his favorite group was holding the next month, the dorama we always watched together and had missed that night... Any topic was interesting when I was with Satoshi. We could speak non-stop for hours, and we always had something to say. It was something magical.

I tidied up the kitchen before going back to bed with him. Everything around us was a mess, with clothes strewn everywhere, but I didn’t mind. Not even my obsession for order and cleanliness was able to eclipse that moment, the only thing I cared about was Satoshi and his happiness.

I put my arms around him once again and stroke his hair, which was strong and soft. He smiled in that genuine, almost childish, way of his and I felt myself melting inside. I was hopeless. He had me completely trapped, not that I was going to complain about it.

That night we searched for one another, became entangled, loved each other. We got lost in the other’s arms several times.

But, above all, we healed one another.


	5. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It was Monday. New week. New shift.

Yoshitaka was working in the store that morning, restocking and making deliveries. I was manning the store as well, but I was stuck placing colored tags on the products slated as the specials of the day.

I wanted to make deliveries.

It was a golden chance I couldn’t waste.

The night before, I had met Satoshi-spicy-curry shortly before finishing my shift. He came with his boyfriend and it looked like they were doing their monthly shopping because they had grabbed a lot of big items such as detergent and packs of mineral water.

To be honest, his boyfriend was handsome, very hot. Actually, he had been my original target, but he had stepped outside to answer a phone call and had left me alone with Satoshi-spicy-curry.

Or should I call him Satoshi-long-fingers?

Good God! What awesome fingers he had. I could only imagine all the amazing things he might do with them.

I knew his name because his boyfriend wouldn’t stop calling out for him. Satoshi this, Satoshi that, Satoshi the other thing over there. Satoshi, Satoshi, Satoshi, Satoshi, Satoshi. I think the whole supermarket realized the guy with long fingers’ name was... what was it again?

Oh, yeah! Satoshi-I-look-dazed-but-I-move-my-hips-like-no-one-else.

His gait was kind of awkward, yet he swung his hips ever so well as he stood there waiting for his pain in the ass boyfriend, also known as Satoshi-saying-your-name-turns-me-on, maybe without even realizing it. The thing is, he made me change my mind right away and so he became my new target.

I was tired of going from club to club looking for tall, handsome, cool, almost perfect guys. In the end, they were always empty, fussy or even worse: they would try to change me. Satoshi-long-fingers was a perfect change of pace.

Ah, he had a boyfriend. That was a minor detail I would need to settle, undoubtedly.

And I already had a plan.

I needed Yoshitaka to switch positions with me that morning. I needed to persuade him at any rate or my whole curry package idea would end up being a waste.

I had succeeded in catching Satoshi-spicy-curry-long-fingers' attention the night before. First, when I 'accidentally' brushed my hand against his and then by running after him to make sure he got the package of curry sauce in time. Obviously, it wasn’t a gift from the supermarket, I had paid for it, but it had been worth it just to see the look of surprise on his face. Besides, at least I knew he wasn’t going to forget my face now. Maybe he’d even remember my name if he had paid attention to the nametag pinned to my uniform.

If I was able to deliver his shopping now and he was the one answering the door, it would be perfect.

"Yoshitakasan~", I said approaching him with my nicest, most innocent smile when I saw he was preparing the boxes for Satoshi-I-want-to-screw-you and his bore of a boyfriend. "Do you want me to give you a hand? I don’t have that much to do today, so I could take care of some deliveries for you"

"Ah~ Ninomiyakun~ That’s not really necessary. I’m going to deliver these and then I’ll take a break. Thank you anyway"

"I insist. It’s not fair that you have to do all the deliveries while I sit slapping a bunch of colored stickers on boxes. Our workload should be more evenly distributed"

I observed the expression on his face. He didn’t look convinced.

I had to change my strategy, quickly.

"Truth is...", I continued staring at the floor and pouting a little. "I feel a little useless just sticking sale tags on the boxes depending on the offer"

"You’re not useless at all. You’re very helpful! You’ve hardly been here a week and you’re already able to handle any position without a problem, as if you’d been doing it all your life. You have me surprised"

"Can I do that delivery then?"

I grabbed the receipt and checked the address. Bingo.

"Oh, it’s near here. I don’t even need the truck", I said looking back at Yoshitaka. "Just the delivery cart will be enough"

My expression was innocent again, pretending to be excited about delivering those boxes, and Yoshitaka, a man in his fifties with young sons about my age, didn’t have the heart to say no.

"OK", he sighed. "But I want you back here in half an hour, got it? Everything around here turns hectic at twelve on Mondays. Housewives know that the special offers on the remaining products from over the weekend are ready at roughly that hour"

"Understood!", I replied with my best smile.

Somehow, I was truly excited as I rushed over to grab the delivery cart and back to take the boxes Yoshitaka had carefully moved out of the way. Or maybe it was the simple satisfaction of having achieved my objective?

Whatever it was, it didn’t matter. My plan was running smoothly.

So I set off.

I walked down the street with my cart, turned a couple of corners and eventually reached the building where the two lovebirds lived. And what a fantastic building it was, by the way! It looked so perfect, it scared me.

Of course, there was a doorman with his hat, his white gloves and his perfect manners, who opened the door for me when I said I was the guy from the supermarket. I only had to show him the receipt with the address and the bore of a guy’s name: Sakurai Sho.

It didn’t sound like the name of a rich person at all.

I shrugged, called the elevator and waited. It had a fairly normal elevator for such a ritzy building, I would even say it was slow because I had enough time to step over to the mailboxes and check Satoshi-touch-me-with-those-long-finger’s last name. Ohno.

Oh! Like the crazy woman who married that Englishman, Lennon. I only hoped they weren’t family and the Spicy Curry wasn’t nuts as well.

I made my way upstairs to the fifth floor in the slowest elevator in the history of expensive buildings and looked for the letter written on the receipt. K. I smirked. Fate was fussy, and she had a strange way of playing in my favor.

I rang the doorbell of the door marked with a K, as in Kazunari, and waited.

If the pain in the ass was the one to answer the door, my plan would have failed and I would have to come up with a new strategy for courting Satoshi-I-want-you-in-my-bed. The worst thing about it was that I would have to start from scratch since that curry would already be long forgotten.

No one answered. Maybe they weren’t home?

I rang the bell again.

"Just a moment!", a voice called from the other side of the door.

_OK, just a moment. Like I had a choice._

I leaned on the cart and waited, carefully checking out the interior of the building. I came to the conclusion it must be worth ten times as much as my cheap one-room mansion in Chiba, with the weathered paint and rusty handrails. Sakurai the dull might be rolling in dough.

The door finally opened. And Adonis came down from Olympus.

No, seriously. Satoshi-come-here-and-I’ll-RAWR-you was standing there in front of me, only wearing a towel wrapped around his waist. And was it just my imagination or was his body wet? He did it on purpose, he knew the effect it was going to have on me, it couldn’t possibly have happened by chance.

Come on, nobody opens the door half-naked to the delivery guy.

"Er...", he stammered blushing and looking away.

_Sure, sure, now play the innocent guy._

I looked him over from head to toe, quite openly, and smirked.

"I’m here to deliver your shopping"

"Yeah, right, come in", he replied moving away and letting me into the apartment. "Please, excuse me for answering the door like this... I’m the only one home right now and you happened to catch me while I was in the shower..."

_So you’re alone at home. I see..._

Another smirk appeared in my lips.

"No, no, don’t apologize. I wish all the young men out there received me like this when I delivered their shopping. I would go to work happier, most definitely"

He chuckled nervously and pointed to a door across the room.

"You can leave the boxes there, in the kitchen"

I pushed my cart into the room as directed, unloaded the boxes and filled in the receipt with the delivery hour.

"Twenty to twelve", I repeated out loud as I was writing, then I looked up at him. "I need you to write down your full name, the number of your ID card and your signature here, please.

He nodded, grabbed the pen and bent over slightly to start writing.

I bit my lower lip and seriously had to control myself not to grab his ass, or directly rip his towel off and take him right there.

_Satoshi-take-off-the-towel-and-show-me-what-else-is-long-in-you-besides-those-fingers_

He stood up and looked at me, giving the pen back along with the filled out receipt. Then he politely bowed his head and I did the same. Even when the only thing I could think about was pulling off that damn towel.

After all, it didn’t cover much.

"Thanks for the curry yesterday, it was good", he said.

_Thanks for the curry? Thanks to you for falling right into my trap, my friend._

"Oh, no problem", I replied showing one of my awesome smiles. The kind I use when I want to dazzle or manipulate someone. "Did your boyfriend like it?"

I pretended to be innocent.

"Ah~ Yeah, he loved it. Though I am the curry fan at home", he chuckled.

I looked at him from head to toe once again.

"I see..."

_Curry makes you look good, yeah._

I think my look made him feel uncomfortable because he crossed his arms over his chest, as if trying to cover himself a little, and cleared his throat.

"Well, then... that’s all... thanks for the curry and for delivering the shopping today..."

"The pleasure was all mine"

_Literally._

I don’t know if he understood the meaning behind my words, but he moved, clearly more uncomfortable, and gave me some lame excuse about having to finish his shower before it got too late.

I’m not stupid. He wanted to get rid of me as soon as possible, so I walked towards the entrance, but I turned around in the doorway and looked over him once more.

"By the way, if you’re going to open the door half-naked the next day, I’ll give you all the curry in the supermarket whenever you want"

I winked and left the apartment, pushing my cart down the corridor.

It had been a great success.

He wouldn’t forget me so easily now. And the best thing was he had my phone number. It most likely wouldn’t take long for him to call me, that is, unless his rich boyfriend decided to change his attitude and spoil my plan. Though it didn’t look like that was going to happen anytime soon, seeing his cowardly behavior the night before.

A resounding success.

Nino 2 - Pain in the ass boyfriend 0


	6. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I closed the door and leaned back on it. I felt the heat on my cheeks.

The supermarket guy, the same one who had brushed his hand against mine the night before and had run after me to give me that pack of curry sauce with his phone number written on the back, the same one I was about to call when I’d felt desperate, had come to deliver our shopping and I had opened the door half-naked.

I never thought it would be him when I heard the doorbell ringing from the shower. I figured it was just the postman bringing one of the packages Sho often receives with stuff for his company, that’s why I dried myself quickly and rather poorly, wrapped a towel around my waist and rushed to open the door just like that. Without putting any clothes on. I didn’t want the postman to think there was no one at home and take the package back with him.

But it turned out it was Ninomiya, who eyed me from head to toe and somehow made me feel self-conscious. I apologized for receiving him like that, but far from being bothered, it looked as if he were enjoying the situation. The smirk on his face said it all.

Oh my God! I had almost dialed his number the night before.

I tried to rush the situation as much as I could. I directed him into the kitchen and had him leave the boxes with the groceries there, quickly signed the receipt, thanked him for the curry and walked him to the door, giving him some lame excuse about it getting late. Though, in the end, it wasn’t really a lie; I had to be at the kissaten in a couple of hours and still had to make lunch for Sho and myself.

Right when I thought he was leaving and would stop looking at me in that strange unsettling way, he suddenly turned around and said that if I was going to open the door half-naked like that he would give me all the curry in the supermarket whenever I wanted.

I froze.

I wanted to bury myself right then and there or tell that shameless guy I wasn’t some puppet for him to play with, but I wasn’t able to move or say even a word as I watched him walk down the corridor.

And now, leaning on that door, I remembered everything in such a blur that I was starting to get dizzy.

Ninomiya seemed to have fun with that game with which he made advances so openly and obviously, and I blushed embarrassed. He made me feel uncomfortable being so straightforward, but at the same time that honest natural personality of his made him attractive. He aroused a strange feeling in me. A mixture of rejection and attraction I didn’t even understand myself.

Maybe that's why I was still thinking about him after he left.

I didn't go down to the supermarket that day and wanted to avoid it the next day as well, but I eventually needed to buy some things to make lunch. So I put on my jacket and set out on my adventure.

I was nervous the entire way there, thinking of how I was going to act if he spoke to me. Nothing serious had happened between us for me to avoid him like that, but I died of embarrassment every time I remembered how I answered the door half naked after being about to call him the night before.

When I entered the supermarket, a girl with her hair tied up greeted me with a wide smile. I bowed my head and passed by her. I looked around. No trace of Ninomiya. I sighed with relief. Maybe he wasn't even working that morning, and I had gotten all worried about how to act or what to say to him. Such a fool I was.

I laughed alone, thinking about how ridiculous I looked. Thank goodness no one could hear my thoughts.

I walked along the aisles looking for what I needed: Rice, soy sauce and those pork cutlets Sho liked so much. Oh! And eggs! I was already on my way to the cashier when I remembered we didn't have any at home.

I turned around with my basket and stood completely still.

From the other end of the aisle, Ninomiya was waving at me, showing his nearly flawless smile.

I gave a little bow and turned to the aisle on my right. The eggs weren't over there, they were in the aisle on Ninomiya's left, but I wanted to disappear from his field of vision as soon as possible.

My heart was racing as I walked through the aisle of sweets, thinking of a way to reach the eggs without having to face him again. Another option was leaving without them, but then I wouldn't be able to make lunch for Sho, or I would have to make it without any eggs. And I wanted to make a katsudon that would give him energy for the afternoon, not just some plain old tonkatsu.

I gathered up my courage and walked to the aisle where the eggs were. I was determined to face Ninomiya, greet him with my best smile and let fate take its course.

But he wasn’t there anymore.

I looked around. Nothing. No trace of him. I sighed relieved for a second time that morning. I grabbed a carton of eggs and rushed towards the cashier to pay and go back home.

When I left the supermarket, my heart was still racing due to that moment of tension. The meeting with Ninomiya had been brief and we hadn’t exchanged a single word, but it had been enough to make me nervous.

The feeling was starting to bother me.

I had to stop being paranoid and getting obsessed over nothing. Even when I had answered the door half naked, it wasn’t the end of the world, nor was Ninomiya the Antichrist. Besides, he didn’t know I had been about to call him when I’d felt alone. I had to control myself and stop making mountains out of molehills or I was going to end up making myself go crazy.

When I went to the supermarket again after a couple of days I wanted to be prepared to greet him normally if we happened to meet. Every time I reached the end of one of the aisles, I carefully peered around the corner, checking to see if he was anywhere in sight. I had already done this three times that morning and none of the three I had seen him, but when I was about to do it for a fourth time someone tapped on my shoulder from behind.

I jumped as I turned around.

"Are you looking for someone?"

Ninomiya was showing that perfect smile. His work smile.

"Er... N-No... I... well..."

"Where’s your boyfriend, the good-looking guy?"

He was really straightforward.

His question made me even more nervous than I already was. I didn’t even know why.

"Sho?... He’s working..."

"Do you happen to have more than one boyfriend or what?", he chuckled.

"No, of course not!", I quickly replied, maybe a little too quickly. "I mean... It’s obvious I only have one boyfriend. The one you know"

"I see", he chuckled again. "Do you need any help?"

"No, no, thank you. I only need to buy a couple of things and this supermarket is like my second home. I know where everything is"

"OK. Well, I won’t bother you then. Be careful when you peer around the aisles, someone might think you’re spying on them", he chuckled once again. "I’ve got to get back to work. See you around~~"

He disappeared down the aisle as quickly as he had appeared, with the same dazzling smile on his lips. Was this the same person who had looked at me from head to toe less than a week ago? That day at my apartment he’d acted like a hunter lying in wait for his prey, but now he seemed like a total normal guy, even endearing in his own way.

I didn’t understand a thing.

The mornings I went to the supermarket the week after that, I didn’t see him. I assumed he had a different shift, so I didn’t pay much attention to it and kept on shopping at my usual time, right before making lunch for two.

In the middle of the week, Sho sent me an e-mail saying we hadn’t had curry in a long time and that he felt like having it that night with me. I knew he was doing it for me. Sho didn’t even like spicy food and yet he was always speaking about eating that curry because he knew I loved it. I insisted it wasn’t necessary, we could have any other thing for dinner, I could have the curry myself for lunch any day, but he was determined to have it together with me. And I knew once Sho made a decision it was impossible to make him change his mind.

I went down the supermarket to buy all the ingredients; curry tastes better if both the meat and vegetables are fresh, and I didn’t have any curry sauce left at home. After carefully choosing the onions, carrots, potatoes and beef, I remembered the sauce Ninomiya had given me some days before.

I went to the instant curry section and I looked for it. There were so many different sauces it wasn’t easy to find the one I wanted, but I knew it had to be there.

"Are you looking for this?"

I was so concentrated on searching for the curry sauce I didn’t realize Ninomiya had approached and was standing right next to me, holding a package of the same sauce he’d given to me.

"Oh, yes", I replied with a smile. "I had been looking for it for a while. Thanks"

"It’s in the gourmet section", he informed me while handing the package to me and then gesturing toward the section he was speaking about. "It’s a special sauce"

"Ah, yeah! That’s why the writing was all in English"

"To be honest, I don’t understand a single word it says", he chuckled. "But someone recommended it to me one day and I decided to try it. Since then, it’s the only kind of curry sauce I buy. The spicy one is the best", he finished pointing at the word 'spicy'.

I looked at the box and then back at him.

"I don’t understand a word of English either, but I do know 'spicy' means hot"

"You like spicy curry as well then?"

I nodded.

"Wow, such a coincidence"

The tone in his voice was normal, as if that coincidence didn’t surprise him at all.

"Yeah...", I nodded again. "Thanks for the sauce... again..."

"No 'thank you'. After all, you’re going to pay for it this time"

I couldn’t help but laugh.

"Oh, well! And here I was thinking I was lucky enough to have it for free again. Ah no!", I looked at the things in my basket. "I’m not going to buy more than five thousand yen today. I guess I will have to wait until the next time "

"Yeah, maybe next time"

I checked my watch. I was surprised to see it was almost nine o’clock. If I didn’t rush, Sho would be home before the curry was ready.

"I’ve got to go", I said. "See you around"

"Yes, of course. It’s not like I have a whole lot of options. When I have to work, I have to be here", he chuckled.

I chuckled with him.

Ninomiya was a nice guy.

"See you then"

He waved with his left hand and smiled. I slightly bowed my head and walked to the cashier.

I went back home thinking I didn’t have to worry anymore when going down the supermarket.

I didn’t know exactly what had changed between us or how, but Ninomiya suddenly looked like a pleasant person who I could to talk to every once in a while. I didn’t feel tense anymore when he greeted me, nor did I want to run away like I did the day he delivered our shopping.

I now saw Ninomiya in a whole new light.


	7. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I tried to be on the morning shift as often as I could.

There were four of us working at the supermarket and I was able to change shifts with two of them when they had the morning shift. The third one, Maeda, said that I only wanted to work mornings so I’d have afternoons free while the rest of them slaved away in my place.

What an idiot.

I didn’t even bother explaining him I actually preferred to work in the afternoon and sleep through the morning, or that I had switched shifts in order to see Satoshi-long-fingers.

That guy was always trying to pester those around him, but I wasn’t going to play his game. If he was trying to annoy me he wasn’t going to get anywhere because my plan with Satoshi-desirable-ass was working at full speed, and that’s what I cared about. Having to take a different shift once every three weeks wasn’t going to stop me.

In the beginning, after the day I made the delivery to Mr. Moneybags’ apartment, Satoshi-I-open-the-door-half-buck-naked-to-the-delivery-guy seemed to be feeling rather uncomfortable around me. I greeted him with my best smile, the one that had always worked when I wanted to catch someone’s attention, and he ran away after giving me only a polite bow.

Something just wasn’t working there.

I assumed it wouldn’t take long for him to call me after stating my intentions so openly. I was so sure of my victory. But as it turned out, he seemed to avoid meeting me at any cost. Once, I even caught him cautiously peering around the corner of every aisle, checking to see if I was anywhere in sight.

I tried to talk to him a couple of times, but it seemed he wasn’t interested in speaking to me at all. He was very evasive and nervous, and it showed on his face that he wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.

Maybe it was time to change my strategy.

And the chance came by itself.

One of those weeks when Maeda was working the mornings and I was working the afternoons, placing some products on the proper shelves, the last thing I expected was to see Satoshi-spicy-curry in the actual curry section. Luck was on my side and I wasn’t going to waste the chance.

I rushed to the gourmet section and went back to Satoshi-pouty-lips with a package of curry sauce in my hand. The same kind of sauce I’d given him that first night, with my number stuck on the back.

I don’t know if he got the message, but we ended up talking a little and it seemed like I was finally able to break through the 'anti-Nino' wall he had built up around himself. He looked much more relaxed, and he even laughed a couple of times at some stupidity I said.

Ha! Strike.

Satoshi-dark-eyes-that-pierce-you was starting to yield.

The following week, while I was working the mornings again, I patiently waited for him to appear around eleven as usual, and I approached him as if by chance when he was standing in front of the beer shelf.

"Good morning~", I said in a cheerful sing-song voice.

Pretending to be nice was my specialty.

"Oh, good morning", he replied with his usual polite bow.

"How was the curry last week?"

"Ah, good. Very good. It’s obvious that sauce is expensive, it has a special flavor"

He was trying to speak normally, even adding a touch of indifference, but I noticed there was something more behind his words.

"I’m guessing the night ended up being really good"

He blushed, but giggled and nodded.

"Ooooh, I see~ Your handsome Mr. Moneybags boyfriend likes curry then. Who would’ve known? With that look of one who only eats expensive sushi or western food he’s got"

"Well, not exactly"

I blinked.

"Not exactly?"

"He doesn’t like spicy curry that much", he clarified. "But he does like Japanese food, besides sushi"

"But you like spicy food, no?"

Satoshi-defender-of-his-sweetheart nodded.

"I guess that’d be a problem then. After all, you live together and have to eat the same food"

"Well...", he cleared his throat. "We get along well"

He was way too reserved! I couldn’t get anything out of him.

"One thing doesn’t change the other. You can get along well, but still have some differences, it’s normal when you live together"

"That’s not our case"

"Really? That handsome guy looks like a workaholic..."

He didn’t reply. He just grabbed some beer cans and placed them in his basket.

It was obvious he wasn’t going to give me any information the rest of the neighborhood couldn’t guess just by looking at them walking down the street.

Satoshi-the-secretive.

"I have to finish my shopping", that was all he said when he finally spoke.

"Yeah. I have to get back to work as well"

I didn’t know how to continue that conversation anyway.

"Ah, OK", he replied. "See you around then"

I nodded, without smiling this time, and went two or three aisles further down to continue placing products on the shelves.

Satoshi-hard-to-read.

He didn’t speak much and didn’t express a whole lot with his face either. He always had that blank look and replied with a yes or a no or used simple head movements. And when he spoke, he would only state obvious or neutral things. He always replied out of politeness, almost unwillingly, usually paying attention to anything except me.

I almost preferred it when he was paranoid and rushed to hide from me.

At least back then I knew he was paying attention to me and that, in some way, he cared about me. Now I felt as if I were invisible. I was part of his life and yet, I wasn’t. I was that pain in the ass insistent from the supermarket. He made it clear everyday with his indifference.

But I wasn’t going to give up.

It wasn’t as if my plan had gone totally awry, it was just working slower than I had anticipated; that spurred me on and made me want to insist even more.

Those fingers, those eyes, those lips and that ass had to be mine at any cost. For one night. It would be enough. Though the longer... the better...

It took me several weeks, but I got to know him little by little.

Apparently, his biggest passions were fishing and drawing, and truth is both suited him rather well. He was a relaxed guy, I would even say he had a dazed look about him, and it seemed he had a lot of patience, so the fishing thing totally suited the image I had of him. As for drawing... well, people who look dazed spend a lot of time spacing out in their own world so normally they’re naturally very artistic people.

Satoshi-the-dazed-artist.

Maybe he didn’t really paint masterpieces, but it was like that in my mind. Those fingers could do no wrong, it was impossible. And if someone tried to say otherwise, they would have to prove me wrong.

I often found myself watching how he moved those long wonders he had for fingers. Sometimes I did it while we had one of our brief conversations where he would let me know just a little bit or practically nothing about his life, and other times I did it while he grabbed some product and looked it over.

The way he wrapped his hands around the soy sauce bottles, for example, made me have all kinds of fantasies. Most of them weren’t G-rated.

A couple of months since the day we met had already passed, and after speaking several times about his hobbies, my hobbies, the foods he liked and some other things, I decided it was time to get down to business and discuss serious topics.

"How are things going with your boyfriend? ", I asked off-handedly.

Like that, simple stated, getting right to the point.

However, I pretended it was by chance, perfectly playing the role of a person who is concerned about someone without any kind of hidden agenda.

"Everything is OK, as usual"

"Are you sure? You look a little sad these days"

"Well, that’s because I haven’t gone fishing in a while. I miss it"

He was clearly trying to change the topic. But I wasn’t going to let him do it now I had decided to be direct.

"Has he changed his attitude then? "

"Eh? ", he asked confused and taken by surprise.

"Your boyfriend, the perfect actor"

I watched him frowning out of the corner of my eye"

"The night you bought the curry he acted like a coward and left, leaving you behind. Has he stopped doing those things? Or is he still pretending everything is fine? "

Satoshi-hit-and-sunk.

"What goes on between my boyfriend and I is none of your business"

"I would say it is. You shared your 'business' with me that night. Don’t ask me to be quiet about it now, as if nothing had happened, I have to at least ask how you feel. I think it’s my duty as the person who’s been talking to you almost every morning for more than two months now"

"I’m fine. Thank you. You don’t have to worry about me"

His tone was sharp and blunt. It was clear I had hit a nerve.

Satoshi-twisting-like-an-eel-on-the-inside.

"Do you really think I’m going to believe you? Since the day I met you, you’ve always had a certain aura of sadness around you, but lately it’s gotten worse. You’re completely lifeless and listless. Yeah, I know you’re a calm person, but I think you get my point"

For the first time in all those mornings he finally paid attention to me, but it was only for a brief moment. Then he looked away and seemed lost in his thoughts.

"OK", I sighed. "I can see you don’t want to talk about it even if I bring it up straightforwardly, so I won’t insist anymore. If someday you want or need to talk about it, you have my number"

I politely bowed, like he usually did, and went back to restock the shelves.

My cards were now on the table.


	8. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I wanted to make the most of the few hours I spent with Sho.

Nothing had changed since that day when I was about to call Ninomiya to fill my emptiness, but the nights were so perfect by his side I didn’t have the strength to tell him my true feelings.

We laughed together, talked to each other, listened to each other, made love... and he always treated me in a way that made me feel so special. I didn’t want to overwhelm him knowing he had been under a lot of stress at his company for the whole day, though maybe I was simply afraid of causing an argument and having the situation finally explode.

But morning always came and took him away from me, leaving me alone in an empty bed. And loneliness was my only partner once again.

When he was gone, I’d go back to bed alone. I’d wake up alone a couple of hours later. I’d go down to the supermarket alone. I’d make lunch for two alone. I’d eat my share alone. I’d go to work by myself, and I’d come back at night. Alone.

And lately, Sho was coming home so late I’doften fall asleep on the couch waiting for him.

"Satoshi", Sho’s gentle voice woke me up in a whisper accompanied by a soft caress on my cheek. "You’ve fallen asleep on the couch again"

I looked at him, still a little disoriented, and I rubbed my right eye. I was dead tired.

"What time is it?", I asked with a hoarse voice.

"Almost twelve"

"Twelve o’clock?", I asked trying to focus my eyes on my watch. "And you just got home now?"

"I’m sorry. Some important clients are interested in making a big purchase, so I have to pay extra care these days. Flatter them a little, you know, so they’re happy and... "

"This can’t be healthy, Sho", I interrupted him.

"I know, I know. You’re annoyed because I’ve been coming home when you’re already asleep for a week now. Believe me, I’m sorry", he said with a sad look. "Nothing would make me happier than coming home earlier to be with you, Satoshi"

I sighed.

He must have interpreted it as a bad sign because I noticed him getting nervous.

"I spend my day thinking what you’re doing, what you have bought in the supermarket, if you have eaten lunch, if you’re having a good day at work, what you’re watching on TV while you wait for me... I think about nothing else"

"I know that, Sho, but I hardly see you. I feel selfish for saying this knowing you’ve been working for more than twelve hours straight, but we need some time alone. Even if it’s only a couple of days, a weekend. I need something that’ll help me go on"

"Oh! A weekend! ", his face suddenly lit up. "What a great idea, Satoshi! "

"Eh?"

I blinked.

"When is your next free weekend?"

"In two weeks, I think"

"Let’s go somewhere"

"You and me... alone?"

He nodded. I smiled.

"Kasumigaura!", I exclaimed. "I want to go to Kasumigaura with you"

"Done. In two weeks this purchase should be settled, so I will tell everyone in the company not to count on me for that weekend. Sakurai Sho won’t be available for anybody else besides Ohno Satoshi"

A giggle escaped my lips as I threw my arms around his neck. Just like a teenager.

"Today, Ohno Satoshi is a happy caterpillar", I said with a wide smile.

He gave me an amused laugh as he helped me up from the couch.

"OK, Mr. Caterpillar. If you don’t mind spending the night with a plain old ordinary human being who lacks your curry and yakiniku-eating skills, you shall be rewarded with a well-deserved massage on that punished-by-hours-of-sleeping-on-a-couch back of yours"

"I think I can also be a 'plain old ordinary' human being for a night if that wins me a massage from Mr. Sakurai"

"Excellent~"

He kissed me kindly and grabbed my hand to gently pull me along with him to our bedroom.

During the next two weeks, I spent my free time thinking about our weekend. I bought fishing line and new hooks, another folding chair so Sho could sit beside me on the lake shore, several cans of that beer we always drank and some things to play with at night.

I had gone to Kasumigaura several times over the past two years, but never with Sho. We had only been there together the weekend we’d first met, and I missed enjoying the peace of the lake with Sho by my side.

It was going to be a perfect weekend.

Friday evening arrived. Sho was leaving work between eight and nine, so I had told him I would have everything ready when he arrived home to be able to leave right away. Without wasting time.

I made it home around seven, packed our bags, got my fishing gear ready, placed the beers between some ice packs in the cooler and sat down on the couch to wait. I was so anxious to leave for Kasumigaura that I had prepared everything in less time than expected, and now I had to wait for Sho for an hour or more.

I thought about turning the TV on, but there was nothing interesting on Fridays, and I was so excited with the wonderful weekend ahead of us I wouldn’t have been able to focus on any program.

Kasumigaura was such a special place for the two of us...

Fate had willed us to meet there, but what came after we’d met was magic from the beginning. And that had nothing to do with fate. It was just Sho and I, being aware since that very first moment that we had found our soul mate.

Saturday, the day I met him, had been special. But Sunday had been a dream.

We spent it almost the same way as Saturday. We had breakfast together and then went down to the lake, where I fished while he sat down a few meters away, leaning against that tree. I asked him if he wanted to sit in my chair for a bit, at least during the moments I was standing up and wasn’t using it, but he insisted he was fine where he was. He complained about his laptop every once in a while, but he did it in such a cute way it didn’t bother me at all. Quite the contrary, actually, I loved it.

He was in the middle of a sentence about what a huge mess it was going to be to recover all the data he had lost when his cellphone started to vibrate. He apologized bowing his head a little and went away so he would not disturb me.

He was so polite and courteous.

He had been nice enough to silence his phone so as not to scare the fishes away if someone called, and then he had immediately stood up when receiving that call in order not to distract me. Little did he know that not having him near was what was distracting me. During those two days, I had gotten used to having him around and, now that he wasn’t there, I began to feel uneasy and alone.

I didn’t understand it. I had always gone to Kasumigaura alone, why the sudden dependence of a person I hardly knew for a day now?

When he came back and bowed his head once again before sitting back down against the tree, I couldn’t help but staring at him as I wondered what was happening, why I wanted to have him closer, to smell him, to touch his hand or his arms... Never before had I experienced anything similar, and even less while fishing, as it’s when I pay the least amount of attention to the world around me.

He may have noticed I’d been staring at him for a while because he ended up asking me if something was wrong, with that innocent and somehow confused expression of his that was driving me crazy. I looked away as I lied saying I was just thinking what would he do now that he had lost his laptop. He laughed and replied he had to buy another one because of his work, he didn’t have a choice.

We were both silent for a while, until I was able to gather the necessary courage to turn around and ask him if he wanted me to teach him how to fish. It was the only thing I could think of to get him closer, and it worked. To my surprise, he stood up right away with an excited look on his face and approached me saying he didn’t even know how to hold the fishing pole and that he was too clumsy, so I would have to teach him from scratch and be patient with him.

Truth is I didn’t mind at all.

I placed myself behind him, holding his hands around the pole to teach him how to grab it and cast it, and our eyes met. I felt the heat rising to my cheeks and I couldn’t help smiling shyly. He replied with a smile which told me without words that I wasn’t the only one whose heart was about to jump out of their chest. There was something going on there.

When the day finished and the night fell, we had dinner together and he walked me to my room, like he had the night before. We said our good-nights, but I didn’t go into my room and he didn’t seem to want to go back to his. We looked at each other in that narrow hallway, knowing it was the last night we were going to spend at the lake house, under the same roof; we would go back to Tokyo next day and both of us would go back to our own lives.

That thought sent a shiver down my spine and I decided to walk into the room, leaving the door open as an invitation for Sho to enter not only my room, but my heart and my life.

I was anxious about going back to that house and reliving all those moments, though I would surely spend less time fishing and more time with Sho. But that was the thing, making the most of the two days I had him all to myself, morning, noon and night.

When I looked at my watch I was surprised to see it was nearly ten o’clock. Time had flown by while I was reminiscing and I hadn’t realized it was that late. But Sho was supposed to be home almost an hour ago, so I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and called him.

Couldn’t be reached.

My stomach turned over.

I looked at the screen. I hadn’t dialed the wrong number. Sho’s name was written there in bright letters.

I called again.

Nothing. Turned off.

I was beginning to feel sick. Excitement had turned into fear, and good memories had completely disappeared making room for a million questions I started asking myself at the moment. Where was he? Was he OK?

I dialed his number again. Turned off.

Turned off, turned off, turned off, off, off, off... ARGH!!

I threw my cellphone against the wall and started to cry uncontrollably.

Where the hell was he? What was more important than our weekend together? Why was he doing this to me? Why was he leaving me behind once again? He knew how important that weekend was to me. He said he wouldn’t be available for anyone besides me, but it wasn’t true.

The one he was unavailable for was me.

Wait. It wasn’t normal for Sho to have his cellphone turned off. He always had it on, even when he couldn’t pick up, and he would always call me back. Always. Why hadn’t he this time? I had been trying to call him for almost an hour, he’d probably have around twenty missed calls from me by now.

What if something had happened to him?

I quickly stood up, picked up my phone from the floor with trembling hands and dialed the number of his company. One tone, two tones, three tones, four tones... Finally!

I interrupted Misaki’s voice, his secretary, with rushed words.

"I-It’s Satoshi, is Sho there?"

"Ah! Good night, Ohno-san~", she replied in her usual high-pitched tone, which I found extremely irritating then. "Sakurai-san is in his office with some important clients. He asked not to be disturbed, but if it’s important..."

I didn’t bother to let her finish.

I hung up and leaned against the wall, sliding down until I reached the floor, where I hid my face in my hands and broke down once again.

Why was I always the last thing for him?

Why couldn’t I be first just for once?

It was past twelve and he was still in his office. What about our weekend?

I was exhausted, sad, lonely, abandoned, betrayed by my own partner. It hurt so much I couldn’t stand it. I felt as if my head were going to explode and I wasn’t able to control my breathing.

I grabbed my phone and dialed again.

Ninomiya’s number this time.

"Moshi moshi~~"

I took a deep breath

"Ninomiya-san?", I asked with a trembling and faltering voice.

"Who is it at this hour?"

"It’s... Ohno Satoshi..."


	9. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It was almost one in the morning when my cellphone rang.

I was on the afternoon shift that week, so the call caught me right in the middle of one of those key scenes of the most recent video game I’d bought that Tuesday.

_Damn it!_

I paused the game and looked for the phone between the blankets of my futon, where I was sitting half-covered, with all the lights off. It took me a few seconds to find it, which made me even angrier than I already was for having been interrupted during one of the most interesting scenes, right when I was about to kill the boss.

And, on top of it all, it was an unknown number. I snorted and answered.

"Moshi moshi~~"

If it was someone trying to sell me something they were going to know who Ninomiya Kazunari really was. They’d be left with no desire to call anyone else at such an hour again.

"Ninomiya-san?"

The voice of a young man came from the other end of the phone in a very hushed tone, almost impossible to hear. He didn’t sound like a telemarketer judging by his slurred speech, but it wasn’t a voice I could recognize either.

"Who is it at this hour?", I asked clearly annoyed.

"It’s... Ohno Satoshi..."

_Spicy Curry!_

I threw the game controller onto the futon and immediately got up, running a hand through my hair to fix it a little, as if he could see me.

"Oh! Hi... I didn’t expect your call..."

"Sorry about the time... Were you sleeping?... I don’t want to bother you..."

His voice sounded awkward. I couldn’t tell what it was, but something was not right.

"No, don’t worry. I’m working afternoons this week, so I was awake", I looked at the TV screen with the paused videogame scene, then over the shelf on the wall. Just a bunch of manga. "I was reading".

"Ah... well... I... "

Silence.

"Is everything alright?", I asked.

More silence, slightly longer than before.

"No...", he replied eventually. "I was wondering if... we could meet... and talk..."

"Now?"

"I know it’s late... but... I need someone who’ll listen..."

I remembered the words I had told him last time in the supermarket.

_If someday you want or need to talk about it, you have my number._

"Sure. Are you hungry? There’s a yatai near Yoyogi that makes one of the best yakisoba I’ve ever had"

"Yakisoba? Sounds good..."

"Meet you in half hour?"

"OK"

When I hung up the phone, I quickly changed my clothes, picked up the futon, turned off the game console and left. It was already late, no trains were running at that hour of the night, so I had kindly offered to pick him up in my car. After all, I could meet him earlier that way.

When I arrived at his building, he was already there waiting at the front entrance.

I couldn’t help but stare at him as he approached my car. He was wearing a leather jacket which caused that childish look he sometimes had to disappear and made him look more like the grown-up man he was. It was an irresistible appearance, and I wanted to take it off right then and there.

I hopped out of the car and waved at him, flashing one of my smiles. Ohno replied with his usual bow, and the look on his face immediately erased my smile; it was swollen, especially around the eyes, and completely lifeless. All the sparkle and freshness were gone.

"Are you OK? ", I asked walking around the car, approaching him.

What was happening to me? I was anxious and... worried?

He shook his head, staring at the floor with his hands in his pockets.

I sighed.

It was Mr. Moneybags’ fault, I was sure. What was his problem? Spicy Curry was completely devoted to him, always thinking about him and doing things for him. Just who the hell did he think he was treating him like that? I was furious inside and wanted to look for this annoying Sakurai and set him straight. Didn’t he see how much Spicy Curry was suffering?

_He sees it, but he doesn’t care._

"Listen", I said trying to control my bad mood. "I know I said I’d take you for yakisoba, but I don’t think that’s what you need right now. You know, eating in a yatai, in the middle of the street, with people passing by all the time and the dude who makes the yakisoba right in front of us. There’s no privacy at those places and I think you need to talk about important things"

There was a brief silence in which I observed him, waiting for his reaction.

"There are no other places open at this time of night", he replied.

"We could go to a konbini and buy something hot to eat and drink, but it’s freezing cold out. I suggest we go to my place"

"Eh? ", he glanced up for first time and gave me a puzzled look. "Y-your place?"

I nodded.

"It’s a one-room mansion in Chiba, nothing like your beautiful western-style apartment, but at least it’s warm"

"Big or small, I don’t care... I’m not worried about that..."

I could see that was what Ohno actually thought. Could he be more perfect? I wanted him in my life, with his odd way of walking, his slurred speech and his nervous habit of squinting his eyes shut.

"Nothing else to be said then. Let’s go to my house"

"I’m not sure it’s appropriate..."

I looked at him confused, but then I understood what he meant and I couldn’t help laughing amused.

"You’re not thinking I’m going to do anything to you, right?"

He didn’t reply. Sometimes silence says more than a thousand words.

"Look at you", I said adopting my serious face again. "You’re worn out and it’s obvious you’ve been crying. Do you really think I would be able to take advantage of this situation?"

"N-No, it’s not that... I... well... you know I have a partner... I don’t think it’s a good idea going to another man’s house, even if nothing is going to happen..."

"Don’t you have friends? Male ones, I mean"

"Yeah, of course I have them"

"What about him? Doesn’t he have friends?"

"He has them... "

"And you’re going to tell me he never goes to his friends’ houses? Or that you never go to yours?"

"Yeah, I go. And he goes as well. But this is different..."

"Why? You called me because you need someone who’d listento you, no? That’s what friends are for"

"Yes, but... I don’t know... I only know you from the supermarket... and the first day you gave me that curry package with your phone number..."

"Thanks to that you were able to call me today, no?"

He nodded in silence.

"What’s the problem? If you think I want to jump on you, why did you call me? Perhaps you want me to do it, then?"

"N-No, it’s not that..."

"You called me as your friend, to listen to you. And here I am"

"I’m sorry... I didn’t want it to sound as if I thought you wanted to take advantage of me..."

He was looking down again, staring at the floor, and he looked ashamed.

"There’s nothing to be sorry about", I replied in a gentle tone. "I offer my house because it isn’t cold there and there are no prying eyes around. You can cry until you wear yourself out, and then you can tell me what has happened. It’ll help you feel better"

He looked at me, surprised and thankful. I smiled.

"I’ll make you some hot tea and miso soup"

I noticed his eyes had that glaze you get just before you’re about to cry, and I didn’t want Ohno to cry. At least, not until we were inside my house and no one could see him. No one else than me.

I cleared my throat and rushed to open the car door, inviting him in.

"Shall we go?"

He slowly nodded and got into the car.

I closed the door, went around the car and hopped in my side. I looked at him.

"Everything is going to be alright, OK? I’m sure you haven’t even had dinner, so you’ll see how much better you feel once you’ve had something warm"

He nodded as I started the engine and drove to my house on the outskirts of Tokyo. In silence. I didn’t know what else to say, and I think he was too busy holding back his tears anyway.

Maybe not saying anything was the right choice.

When we reached my small apartment, I unlocked the door and went inside, but he didn’t follow me. He stood outside, still staring at the floor, as if he were stuck there.

"You can come in", I said. "It’s a little messy, but I didn’t expect to have any guests tonight. And then, I left in a rush when you called, I only changed my clothes and picked up the futon"

He slowly entered the apartment, as if he was still thinking about it.

"If you want, you can sit down there, by the kotatsu. Or you can use that beanbag chair in the corner, it’s very comfortable. I use it while I’m playing video games when it’s not time to sleep yet and the futon is in the closet"

Speaking of video games, the controller was still lying around. I quickly picked it up and put it back in its place, over the game console.

"Sorry", I said a little embarrassed. "I wasn’t really reading when you called me, I was playing some video game I bought on Tuesday, but for some reason I was ashamed to tell you"

I grabbed the game’s case and handed it to him. He was sitting on the floor, next to the kotatsu, and stared at it as if it were from another planet while I took off my coat and continued to speak.

"I don’t know if you like video games, but you should definitely try that one. It’s very good! It has a ton of levels and bosses, and they’re not easy at all. I’m having a hard time finishing it, but I think that’s what makes it interesting. If it were easy I would get bored with it right away. What do you think? Do you like them easy or do you prefer a challenge?"

I looked at him and shut up. But not because I was waiting for a reply.

While I had been speaking non-stop, he had started to cry silently, with the case still in his hands. His tears fell relentlessly over the plastic surface and I just stood there, without moving.

The very sight of it broke my heart.

He looked so vulnerable and hurt at that moment that I wanted to reach out and hug him, but I knew it wasn’t the place or the time for it. Ohno needed to cry alone, get everything out of his system and calm down, or at least try to do so. I wanted to ease his pain, but I couldn’t do anything at that time.

I turned around and walked to the corner of the room where I had a little stove and a fridge next to it. I grabbed the miso, the dashi my mom always prepared for me, some tofu, wakame and leek, and started to cook the miso soup I had promised him. Without asking any questions.

Ohno shed beautiful tears, even when they were of pain and sadness, and I didn’t want anyone else to be able to see them. I wanted to be the only one he showed his pain to, his most private and vulnerable side.

Only me. Nobody else but me.


	10. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

My tears rolled down my cheeks uncontrollably.

I was at Ninomiya’s place, who had come to pick me up after I had called him, and was making miso soup in the small kitchenette in one of the corners of the apartment. I was sitting down next to his kotatsu, on a soft cushion, with that video game case in my hands.

I had suddenly started to cry, without realizing it, and now I was unable to stop. Misaki’s shrill voice was still ringing in my ears saying Sho was in his office with some important customers. More important than me.

There was always something more important than me at his company.

I had reached my limit, I couldn’t take it anymore. I told him I needed something that would help me to go on, practically begged him, and it looked as though he didn’t care. He was at his company so late at night when we were supposed to be on our way to Kasumigaura, ready to start our weekend together.

Never before had he gone that far. Even if he was working late, I could always reach him, but that night he had turned off his cellphone as if saying 'Don’t bother me, I’m too busy to pay attention to you'.

That hurt more than any blow my body could receive. It was unbearable. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t control my tears, which were still running down my cheeks at a speed they had never done before. It was the only way I had to take all that pain out of me.

Ninomiya was cooking in silence, without looking up or asking questions. He was leaving me some space to have a good cry and I appreciated it. At that moment, having someone by my side, hugging me or trying to comfort me, would have only made it harder for me to recover.

Little by little, tears stopped, and that’s when Ninomiya approached me with a bowl of miso soup and a cup of hot tea.

"Here", he said taking a seat on the other side of the kotatsu, handing me the bowl over the table. "It’ll make you feel better"

"Thank you", I said slightly bowing my head.

I placed my hands around the bowl, then grabbed the spoon and slowly took the first spoonful of soup to my lips. A warm feeling quickly ran through my body as I swallowed and savored the taste of the homemade dashi mixed with wakame, tofu, leek and miso.

I smiled. It was red miso.

"It’s good"

"I didn’t have white miso, so I had to use red", he replied, almost apologetically.

"It’s OK", I shook my head. "I like red miso. It’s salty"

I noticed how Ninomiya stared at me.

"People normally prefer white", he replied.

"It’s too soft. I like spicy curry, and I like red miso. They’ve got flavor"

"You’re full of surprises, Ohno Satoshi"

"Eh? Surprises? I would say I’m pretty simple, boring even"

"I don’t think so. You’re interesting"

I could feel the heat rising to my cheeks, and it wasn’t just because of the miso soup.

I finished the bowl in silence and grabbed my cup of tea with both hands. It smelled milder than sencha or matcha, but it was definitely green tea, I could tell even when the color was slightly lighter. I slowly tasted it and noticed the flavor was mild as well.

"Ninomiyasan..."

"Nino", he interrupted me.

"Ah, sorry. Nino... ", I hesitated for some seconds. I felt weird calling him by such a familiar name. "The tea, is it sencha?"

"More or less", he smiled. "It’s kabusecha. Sencha grown in the shade"

"It’s soft"

He nodded, still with that smile on his lips.

"I can get you some next time, if you want. I have a friend whose family has been cultivating green tea for generations. I always drink their tea, I think they cultivate it with exquisite delicacy and attentiveness"

Was this the same Ninomiya who had eaten me with his gaze the day he delivered our shopping?

He had been kind of different at the supermarket, but I always thought it was because he was working. Now we were at his place, he didn’t need to pretend in front of anyone or play the role of a nice employee, and yet he spoke in that gentle tone.

"Oh! You really don’t mind? Sho is passionate about tea, I would love it if he could try this one, it’s delicious"

When I named Sho, I felt a sharp pain in my heart and the little excitement I felt when Ninomiya offered to get me the tea, completely disappeared.

He might have noticed it because the smile on his face had faded and he was serious again.

"Listen", he said. "I know this place is small, but you can stay overnight if you don’t want to go back home. I have a spare futon"

I didn’t answer him right away.

I knew I had to speak with Sho about what had happened, but I didn’t have the strength to do it just yet. I needed some time to think, let my feelings rest, so I could face him and tell him I was tired of the situation. I needed him to react, but I was still too weak to tell him.

I decided to nod, accepting Ninomiya’s offer.

"OK... ", he said looking around, then at me. "Do you want to go to sleep now? If you’re not sleepy we can watch a movie or play some video games. Though I don’t know if you like video games, maybe they bore you"

"They’re not bad, but I think I prefer to watch something while relaxing"

"Choose a movie then", he said standing up and opening a drawer under the TV.

I followed him and saw it was full of movies, from every genre imaginable, though there was certainly no shortage of anime and action. I couldn’t help but smile. In the end, Ninomiya was like a big kid.

"This one"

I pointed to 'My Neighbor Totoro'

"My Neighbor Totoro?", he asked grabbing it and closing the drawer. "It doesn’t suit you"

"It doesn’t suit you to have a bunch of anime for girls either"

He laughed. I laughed with him.

"Variety is the spice of life, they say"

"Yeah, that may be"

"Shall I lend you something to sleep in? Pajamas or a t-shirt? I don’t think you’re very comfortable in those clothes"

I looked at myself. He was right.

My jeans weren’t exactly the most comfortable clothing to try to relax in, watching something at home. Even though I wasn’t exactly at home.

"If you have some pajamas you could lend me... "

"Sure! We’re about the same height, I think my clothes should fit you"

He walked to the closet next to the bathroom and slid open one of the sides. There were several jackets, shirts, and pairs of pants hanging there, and under them there were several shelves with t-shirts, pajamas, socks... I figured he kept his underwear in the small drawer at the bottom.

I felt embarrassed looking at that drawer.

"I think this will work", he said grabbing some pajamas and giving them to me.

I nodded, grabbed it and thanked him. He pointed to the bathroom and said I could change in there without a problem, so I went inside, I took off my clothes and put on his pajamas. They were soft and surprisingly comfortable. Ninomiya was my height, but he was thinner than me, so I had thought his clothes might be a little tight, but they weren’t like that at all.

When I stepped out of the bathroom, with my clothes neatly folded in my hand, he looked at me and smiled.

"Those look better on you than they do on me"

I blushed. I don’t know if it was because of his look or the comment.

As I looked away from him I realized he had taken out the two futon, which were perfectly laid out next to each another on the floor, while Ninomiya himself was sitting down inside one of them. He had changed his clothes for something more comfortable: a big t-shirt and track pants.

"I bought those pajamas at a foreign chain store", he said. "They may measure the sizes differently because, even though it’s my size, it’s a little big for me. I didn’t return it because I’m a disaster and I always keep clothes without trying them on, so when I first used them, two months had passed since I’d bought them"

I chuckled.

He was nothing like Sho, who tried on the clothes in the shop and looked at himself in the mirror a thousand times until he was completely sure they fit him and only then would he buy them.

"You can leave your clothes there", he said pointing to a chair in front of a little table with a laptop on it. "The movie is already in the DVD player and... ", he patted the futon next to his. "This is your bed"

I left my small pile of clothes on the chair and walked to 'my' futon. I hadn’t slept on one in years, not since I had left my mom’s place, before I started living with Sho. Since then, I had always slept in a western style bed.

I put my feet in and slid inside, though I set the covers aside.

"Are you hot?", Ninomiya asked.

"I’m fine, but I don’t need the covers for now"

He nodded and pressed 'play'.

I must have fallen asleep very quickly because I can’t recall even ten minutes of the movie. I only remember lying down and feeling exhausted, I guess because I had cried so much.

When I opened my eyes, it was completely dark.

I had the covers on me and there were tears running down my cheeks. Only now there were drops of cold sweat on my forehead and neck as well.

I sat up and looked around. Sho wasn’t there. But... we had just argued... he had just asked me to leave his house saying he couldn’t stand someone as selfish as me, who refused to understand he had to take care of his company. I heard it with my own ears and I felt it in my heart, which was still beating incredibly fast.

I looked at my side. Sho wasn’t there either.

There was only a futon, with Ninomiya sleeping inside of it, oblivious to my tears and my nightmares. Because it was a nightmare. Just a bad dream. Sho and I hadn’t argued and he hadn’t asked me to leave.

I sighed somewhat relieved and wiped away my tears. But the anxiety didn’t disappear.

I was feeling lonely, nervous, desperate yet again.

I glanced down at my side again.

Ninomiya was sleeping peacefully, breathing so rhythmically, relaxed, and his expression so calm and serene. How I envied him. I wanted to be as happy as he seemed to be in his own way, with his tiny apartment, and his job at the supermarket.

Slowly, without making a sound, I left my futon and slid inside Ninomiya’s.

I didn’t want to be alone. I couldn’t stand it.

I snuggled up against his chest, small and bony compared to Sho’s, but warm and cozy. It was the most comfortable place in the world for me at that moment.

"What happened?"

His sleepy voice reached my ears and made me blush suddenly.

"I-I had a nightmare...", I said almost too softly to be heard. "Sho and I yelled at each other... he asked me to move out... ... I feel so lonely..."

I heard him sigh and he placed his arms around me at once, wrapping me in a warm hug that brought back my life. My tranquility.

"It was just a dream. Try to have some rest, OK?"

I nodded silently.

It took me a few minutes to finally close my eyes, but when I did I was immersed in a deep and pleasant dream in which I saw myself fishing at Kasumigaura. With that silence all around me. Only the swaying of the water and the hook dropping into the lake could be heard, and the line being reeled in every once in a while.

My soul was at ease.


	11. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I opened my eyes and looked around.

_Shit!_

I had fallen asleep in the office, on my laptop.

I checked my watch. It was almost two in the morning.

_Satoshi!_

I grabbed my cellphone to call him.

_Turned off?!_

I tried to turn it on. The battery was dead.

I panicked.

I slammed my laptop shut, grabbed my jacket and shot out of there like a bat out of hell.

"Sakuraisan!"

The feminine voice of my secretary stopped me and I turned around, breathing heavily, to see her still there even when it was so late.

"Misaki! What are you doing here?"

She looked down, kind of embarrassed, and moved her tiny hands nervously.

"You were in your office. I didn’t think it was appropriate to leave until you did, just in case you needed something"

"Ah, I’m sorry. I fell asleep on my laptop"

She looked at me and shyly giggled. I touched my face and understood why: I had laptop keys marked on my cheek.

"Would you like me to bring you a coffee?"

"I don’t have the time, I have to go home. Has anyone called for me?"

"No, sir. Were you expecting a call?"

"I had arranged to meet a friend to go fishing this weekend and my cellphone’s battery died. I thought he might have tried to call the company"

"Ohnosan?"

My heart skipped a beat. I looked at her.

"Did he call?!", I asked impatiently.

"No, sir. I would have passed the call to you if that were the case. It’s only that you and Ohnosan seem so close, I figured you were referring to him"

"Misaki, I’m sorry, but I’m in a rush. Take Monday off, for the inconvenience"

"No!", she said in a louder tone than the one she normally used as she looked up and stared at me.

"Excuse me?"

"I mean... ", now she looked embarrassed. "It’s late and... I’m a little scared... to go home by myself... so... I was wondering if... you wouldn’t mind accompanying me..."

I pulled out three one thousand yen bills and placed them on her desk.

"Take a taxi. Don’t worry about the change. See you on Tuesday!"

I ran down the stairs. Leaving her mid-sentence.

Misaki had been my secretary for more than five years and she was always attentive, polite and helpful. She did her work perfectly and had saved my neck more than once. I had a lot to thank her for. Walking her home on a day like that, when she had stayed late because of me, was the least I could do. But I couldn’t. Not that day.

I almost flew to the car. I threw everything in the back seat: jacket, laptop, cellphone, even the tie I had taken off while running through the halls of the company. I undid the top button of my shirt and started the engine. I had to get home as soon as possible.

Satoshi had practically begged me for some time off together and I had taken that weekend off for him. I booked a room in Kasumigaura and woke up earlier that morning, so I could get out of work a little earlier and leave with Satoshi right away. Not wanting to wait for the next day. The two of us would leave that same night, just the two of us. Without laptops or cellphones. Just him and me.

And I had fallen asleep at the company.

I had been working non-stop for two weeks, arriving home very late and waking up early as usual. Some American customers were interested in buying some equipments and associating with us, I couldn’t miss the chance. It meant a lot of money and the expansion of my business overseas. My little company that started in an old basement on the outskirts of Tokyo, with a single employee, now had more than thirty employees and the offer of associating with an American company. It was something that hadn’t happened even in my wildest dreams and now it was a reality.

But the price to pay was too high.

I had neglected Satoshi to the point where he, who always avoided being a bother at all costs, had told me he needed something to help him to go on. And my lack of sleep had taken its toll; I was so exhausted I fell asleep at work for hours and had stood Satoshi up. Once again.

I didn’t know if he would be able to forgive me, but I wanted to get home as soon as possible and explain it all to him. Tell him it hadn’t been intentional, that I needed that weekend off as badly as he did, that I wanted to have him all to myself for two whole days, and that I missed him as much as he missed me, if not more.

I couldn’t live without Satoshi anymore, and I had to let him know.

I entered the building as fast as a lightning, most likely making more noise than one should be making at three in the morning, I called the elevator and went up to our apartment. He would probably be asleep, but I was dying to see that angelic face he had when he slept, and how adorable he looked curling up on the couch, waiting for me.

I unlocked the door.

The house was completely dark. Not even the television was on.

I took off my shoes and turned on the hallway light. Our suitcases were there, waiting by the door, ready to be tossed in the trunk and taken to Kasumigaura. Satoshi’s fishing gear was there too, as well as a little cooler, in which I guessed was the beer he had bought.

I entered slowly, trying not to make any noise just in case he was asleep on the couch, but the living room was completely empty. He’d probably woken up and gone to bed. It was three in the morning, after all.

I walked in the bedroom, but the bed was made, and Satoshi wasn’t there.

"Satoshi?", I called out for him.

No one replied.

It was obvious he wasn’t home, but something inside of me didn’t want to believe it.

I looked everywhere, even in the kitchen, but I didn’t find him.

I had no choice but to accept it: Satoshi hadn’t waited for me this time. He was fed up and had left.

I looked for my charger and quickly plugged my phone. When the battery had charged enough to keep it on, I saw I had received more than twenty missed calls from Satoshi, practically in a row between ten and twelve. He had been frantically trying to reach me while I was sleeping, with my cellphone off. I knew it was late, in every sense of the word, but I pressed the redial button and waited.

Turned off.

I sighed as I hung up and left the cellphone on the bed.

_It serves you right for being an idiot, Sho._

I walked into the kitchen and made myself some tea.

I was freezing cold, even though the heating was on, and I felt slightly disoriented. A million thoughts of every kind raced through my mind at a dizzy speed. I refused to believe Satoshi had left forever, not without having spoken with me first, at least. I knew he wasn’t like that. He wasn’t going to suddenly disappear forever. But where was he, then? At Kohara’s place, his childhood friend? At his mother’s house? What if he had gone out for a walk and something had happened to him?

_No, no, no, no... NO!_

_Don’t even think about that, Sho._

I slowly drank the tea, trying to calm down, and went back to the bedroom. It was so empty without him. Now I understood how he felt waiting for me until late at night.

I put my pajamas on and grabbed my cellphone from the bed to set it on the bedside table, not without checking it one last time, hoping he had seen my call and had called back. But that wasn’t the case. The clock was all that was displayed on the screen.

I sighed.

I eventually reached the conclusion that spending the night awake wasn’t going to solve anything. Satoshi may be sleeping at someone else’s place, so he wasn’t going to call me back in the wee hours of the morning. He probably wouldn’t see my call until the next day when he woke up, so I decided to try and get some sleep. I would call him again in the morning when I woke up.

And so I did.

Filled with anxiety, I couldn’t sleep more than four hours, so I was up at seven in the morning. I knew it was way too early, but I tried my luck anyway. I dialed his number once again, but his phone was still turned off.

I took a long shower while I tried to put my thoughts in order and put aside the terrible scenarios I’d been thinking about, those in which Satoshi couldn’t come home because someone had done something terrible to him. Or even worse, that he had found someone better and decided to abandon me, without giving any explanation.

If it was like that, I couldn’t reproach it to him.

_Would you stop acting like a prophet of doom, Sho?_

_And what’s with you giving up Satoshi so easily?_

_You don’t care if he doesn’t come back, or what?_

Of course I cared.

Being without him hurt so much that I began to feel a sharp pain in my chest that wouldn’t allow me to breathe properly. But it hurt even more when I thought about the current situation lasting forever.

When I stepped out of the shower, I called him again. His cellphone was still off.

It was barely eight anyway, so I thought about having breakfast to kill time, but my stomach refused. I couldn’t eat a thing. Maybe some hot tea would be good, like the night before.

When I went back to the bedroom, I sat on the bed and waited. I think no more than three minutes had passed when I decided waiting was impossible and a waste of time, so I grabbed my cellphone to dial Satoshi’s number again.

Still turned off.

I waited. Dialed again. Turned off. Dialed once more. Off. Waited for a couple of minutes. Still off.

I plopped into the bed and stared at the ceiling. I wanted to talk to him, hear his voice, to know he was alright. That was enough for me. If he didn’t want to speak about it all or listen to my explanations, that was OK, it didn’t matter, I only wanted to hear his voice. Nothing else.

If I didn’t reach him within the next ten minutes, I would start calling his family and every one of his friends.

I dialed his number again. It started ringing.

_Finally!_

"Hai..."

I sat up in bed.

"Satoshi?"

"Un..."

"Oh God! You’re OK! I was beginning to think something had happened to you..."

"I could say the same about you last night. Your cellphone was turned off too"

I sighed.

"I know, and I’m sorry"

"What happened to our weekend together, Sho?"

"Satoshi, I know I don’t have any possible excuse, but this wasn’t deliberate. I fell asleep on my laptop, I was exhausted after getting only three or four hours sleep these days, and I swear I didn’t turn my cellphone off. The battery died"

"Misaki said you were in a meeting with some important clients"

"Eh? Is that what Misaki said?", I asked surprised. "I don’t know why she said that, but I swear it’s not true. I fell asleep and came straight home after I woke up, but it was already too late. I tried to call you several times last night and this morning, but your cellphone was off"

"I needed to clear my head and rest, that’s why I turned it off"

"I understand. Where are you? Do you want me to go and pick you up? I still have today and tomorrow off, and the reservation in Kasumigaura is still there"

"Sho... I’m at a hotel... and I probably won’t be back until Monday..."

There was a silence on both ends of the line.

"I need to think", he eventually said.

"OK, I understand. Take all the time you need, but come back, please. I will be waiting for you with open arms"

"Un...", was his only reply. "Ja..."

And he hung up.

I had messed up big time and had no idea how to fix it. What if he never came back? What if he came back, but only to break up with me and then leave again? He sounded so hurt and sad over the phone. His tone at certain points during the conversation was accusatory even. What was I supposed to do now?

I needed to talk to someone. Explain my situation and get an outside perspective, disconnected from our relationship; get some advice that would help me hold on to Satoshi.

I grabbed my phone and looked for the number of someone who knew both Satoshi and me: Aiba Masaki, my friend from college.

He was the only one who would be able to give me some advice.


	12. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

A cellphone melody woke me up.  
  
I slowly opened my eyes, blinking several times to adjust to the sunlight shining through my window, and heard someone answering the call. I turned around in my futon and saw Spicy Curry sitting beside me, with his back facing me, holding his cellphone to his ear.  
  
_Wait! What is Spicy Curry doing in my futon?_  
  
I rubbed my eyes and tried to remember.  
  
The night before, after Spicy Curry had cried a river and I’d offered him miso soup with some tea, I lent him some pajamas that were too big for me and he laid down on the futon next to mine. We were supposed to watch 'My Neighbor Totoro', but he started snoring ten minutes into the movie. Loud and clear. With his mouth wide open.  
  
Sheesh! He wouldn’t let me lay a finger on him and yet I had to deal with that.  
  
I ended up stopping the movie halfway through and, when I turned around to go back to my futon, I looked at him. He looked exhausted and that tense expression he had had since I’d picked him up at his doorstep wouldn’t go away, not even while he was sleeping. I figured 'Sakurai I' must’ve done something huge that night for him to end up like that. It was either that, or he had done so many things that Spicy Curry had finally exploded.  
  
I covered him with the blankets and went to my futon.  
  
_Ah, wait!_  
  
It was all rather confusing and a bit fuzzy, but I remembered he had woken up in the middle of the night and had climbed into my futon saying he’d had a nightmare with Mr. Moneybags. And I had hugged him?  
  
_What the fuck, Nino?!_  
  
I finally had him in my bed and, instead of taking advantage of the situation and groping him until I got tired, I had held him as if I were his mother and had even fed him some crap about it only being a nightmare. And then I told him to try and have some rest? Instead of trying to keep him up to play doctor with me, I told him to sleep.  
  
_Utter failure._  
  
I realized I probably wouldn’t have many more chances like that, in which Spicy Curry was weak and would climb into my futon on his own, and I had completely wasted it.  
  
"Sho... I’m at a hotel..."  
  
_Eh? Did he say a hotel?_  
  
Spicy Curry had totally caught my attention.  
  
"...and I probably won’t be back until Monday... I need to think"  
  
I sighed in relief. If he was planning to stay at my place until Monday, there was no problem. It meant I had two more nights for another perfect chance to present itself.  
  
"Un... Ja..."  
  
And he hung up.  
  
He didn’t look convinced or cheerful after listening to the pain in the ass on the phone. Actually, judging by the amount of times he sighed with the cellphone still in his hand, I would say he was even more distrustful. Unless those weren’t sighs of resignation? Spicy Curry was hard to read. The expression on his face rarely changed, and he didn’t speak much, so things weren’t easy to guess by his tone of voice either.  
  
I was staring at him, sitting there with his back at me, trying to read him, when he turned around and finally realized I was awake.  
  
A slight blush appeared on his cheeks as he looked away.  
  
"D-Did you hear the conversation?", he asked.  
  
I nodded.  
  
"Almost everything, yes"  
  
"It isn’t a lie, everything I said... I really am planning to go to a hotel..."  
  
"Do you honestly think I’m going to let you do that?"  
  
"Eh?", he looked at me.  
  
I sat up in the futon and crossed my legs.  
  
"You were crying your eyes out on my kotatsu yesterday", I said calmly, pointing the area where he had shed his tears the night before. "And I know your boyfriend has a lot to do with it. Do you think I would be able to leave you alone all weekend?"  
  
"Well... I... don’t want to take advantage of your kindness... you’ve already done enough for me..."  
  
"I wouldn’t be at ease knowing you’d most likely be racking your brain by yourself in some hotel room"  
  
"It’s OK, really. I’ll be fine"  
  
"Last night, you got into my futon saying you felt alone, so I don’t believe you’re going to be fine", I looked at him with a serious and determined expression. "If you don’t want to go back home with Sakurai, I understand that, you need your time and space. In fact, I think you should never go back if he’s hurting you this much, but well, that’s another story. If you don’t want to go back to his place, you will have to sleep on this nice futon right here"  
  
I tapped the futon where he had slept for most of the night, and smiled.  
  
He followed my hand with his gaze and observed its quick movements over the futon, then looked at me, trying to read me as I had tried to read him earlier.  
  
Causing such interest in him made me grin on the inside.  
  
"And now, are you finally going to tell me what you wanted to say last night?"  
  
I hadn’t forgotten the reason for his call: he needed someone who’d listen.  
  
"Ah... well...", he hesitated. "Yesterday I wasn’t feeling that great... that’s why I said that"  
  
"And you feel good today? I would say no"  
  
He was quiet for several seconds, which felt like an eternity to me.  
  
"It’s Sho...", he finally replied, "but I don’t know if you want to hear that story..."  
  
"Of course I want to hear it. And if you need advice, I will give it as well"  
  
I flashed one of my wonderful smiles as the final push to convince him I was being serious.  
  
"This story goes way back, before I had even met you..."  
  
He told me how his boyfriend was always too busy and hardly devoted any time to him, especially during the past few months, in which Spicy Curry had started to feel so alone at times he couldn’t stand it anymore. It looked as though that last week had been the worst. The only times they had seen each other were right before going to bed and during breakfast, and that was because Spicy Curry woke up early on purpose to have breakfast with Sakurai. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have seen each other at all.  
  
With an indescribable sadness that broke my heart, he explained how he had planned a special weekend with the pain in the ass and how that loser stood him up. To add insult to the injury, the jerk even had his cellphone turned off, so when Spicy Curry called him at his company, the secretary told him that he was in some meeting with some corporate bigwigs, despite being so late at night. It seemed like that phone call was what caused him to ring me just a few minutes later.  
  
"Sho said it isn’t true, that he only fell asleep on his laptop because he was exhausted, but I don’t know...", he said in a tone that made him look so vulnerable that I wanted to hug him right there.  
  
Then he became quiet.  
  
I cleared my throat, trying to control myself not to insult 'Sakurai I'.  
  
"Even when you believe him, you still have doubts, right?", I said in the most neutral tone I could muster. "He has been neglecting you for so long that now you probably feel like it’s never going to change. So it’s not that you don’t trust what he says, it’s more like, you don’t want to go back to that way of living", I looked at him. "Am I right?"  
  
He nodded, staring at the floor.  
  
"Have you discussed this with him?"  
  
"I told him I needed something to help me go on... but I wasn’t as clear as I’ve been just now..."  
  
"See, I hate to say this because I don’t think that guy is worth all the shit you go through, but if you really want to continue your relationship you should be as open with him as you have been with me. Stop beating around the bush. It’s the best thing to do"  
  
"It’s not that easy. You’re a straightforward person, Nino... I have a hard time expressing myself..."  
  
I was about to tell him it was not a question of knowing how to express one’s self, it was a question of priorities. Not Spicy Curry’s priorities, but Sakurai’s.  
  
If I had a person like Spicy Curry in my life, who thought about me the way he thought about his pain in the ass boyfriend, who’d cook for me every day, who’d wake up early just to have breakfast with me even when he had to work later, and who’d wait for me at night with such excitement, I would do everything in my power to make him feel appreciated and loved.  
  
Making him feel alone was inhumane.  
  
Causing that painful expression on his face was unforgivable.  
  
"I see...", I sighed. "But you have to try, you can’t go on like this. You’re wasting away in sadness"  
  
He looked up and stared at me in such an intense way I wondered if this was the same person who, just minutes before, had his look lost somewhere on the floor of my apartment.  
  
"Why are you doing all this for me?", he asked.  
  
"I have my reasons"  
  
But I couldn’t tell him.  
  
Since the first moment, when Sakurai left me alone with him at the supermarket that night, I had wanted to caress Spicy Curry’s body and kiss his lips. Get him in my bed and not let him go for days. But lately, certain feelings I wasn’t able to fully comprehend or classify in my mind were added to that desire  
  
Aside from wanting to caress and kiss him, I now wanted to protect him and make him happy. To open his eyes and make him see his boyfriend didn’t care enough about him, that he deserved something more, someone who loved him for real and treated him like the special person he was. Someone who knew how to handle and understand the sensitivity that Spicy Curry transmitted through every fiber of his being, the delicacy in every one of his movements and the honesty in each and every word that he spoke.  
  
But above all, someone who could protect the fragility of his soul.  
  
On the outside, he was calm and mature, he rarely changed expressions or showed emotions, but on the inside, he was as fragile as the thinnest glass. And he could break at any moment, like he had the night before.  
  
My obsession with Spicy Curry wasn’t purely sexual desire. It was the desire to see that sensitivity, that delicacy, that honesty and that fragility at 100%, and I was sure he only showed them when he devoted himself completely to another person, body and soul.  
  
And the only one he devoted himself to was Sakurai.  
  
I felt jealous. So much that I frowned and clenched my fists.  
  
That idiot could see Satoshi was 100% devoted to him. And I hated him for it.  
  
"Nino?"  
  
Spicy Curry’s voice brought me back to reality.  
  
I looked at him and saw he was looking at me with a confused expression, trying to understand what I was thinking about.  
  
"Hm?", I asked, quickly changing my expression to a more relaxed one.  
  
"I was asking what those reasons were..."  
  
_As if I could tell you..._  
  
"You will find out when the time comes", I replied getting up and walking to the closet.  
  
He didn’t ask any more questions. He only observed me as I grabbed some clean clothes.  
  
"I’m going to take a shower", I said. "Make yourself at home. Eat something or make some tea, if you want"  
  
"No, I’m going to go home and grab some clothes. I can’t wear the same shirt and pants three days in a row"  
  
"You’re right, you wouldn’t smell good", I laughed.  
  
He chuckled.  
  
"I should probably pick up some toiletries as well"  
  
I nodded.  
  
I offered to drive him if he waited until I finished my shower, but he said he preferred to take the train because he needed some time to himself. And I understood it perfectly.  
  
I suggested having a stellar bowl of ramen together in a place near the Tokyo Dome City before I went to work, and we could use the chance to have a walk around Korakuen. He seemed to like the idea because he nodded and smiled.  
  
Finally. A genuine smile, without a trace of sadness.  
  
I smiled back without thinking and said I would meet him at the entrance to Korakuen two hours later.  
  
As I entered the bathroom and locked the door, I noticed the smile was still there, on my lips. Perhaps it was even wider now.  
  
I stared at myself in the mirror.  
  
_You’re a lucky man, Ninomiya._


	13. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I knew that Sho wouldn’t be at home in the morning.  
  
It was Saturday and he had supposedly taken it off to be with me in Kasumigaura, but being Sho, it was impossible for him to be resting at home. Impossible.  
  
When I entered the apartment, around eleven, my theory was confirmed: there was no trace of Sho.  
  
I sighed and grabbed one of the suitcases, which were still waiting by the front door, ready to be taken to Kasumigaura, where they would never get to. It was Sho’s. I placed it on our bed, opened it and started to put his things away. Then I did the same with mine, and returned the beers to the fridge. I took my fishing gear to the bedroom as well and left everything in the corner of the closet I used for storage.  
  
I put the suitcases back on the top shelf and used the opportunity to grab a smaller carryall. I placed two shirts, a pair of pants, socks and some underwear inside. After that, I grabbed my clothes for the day and went to the bathroom: I urgently needed a shower, to refresh myself and relax a little.  
  
It had been an intense night, full of tears, feelings and frights.  
  
As I let the water of the shower slowly wet my hair and warm my body, I remembered how kind Ninomiya had been to me. Not only had he come for me when I called, despite the late hour, but he had also taken care of me and said he wouldn’t leave me alone in a hotel for two days. I wasn’t sure if I was doing the right thing by accepting his offer, but I didn’t want to be alone. I knew that if I didn’t have someone by my side I would start crying and wouldn’t be able to stop. The feeling of loneliness would remind me of Sho, and I’d end up drowning in misery.  
  
Moreover, Ninomiya wasn’t an ordinary companion.  
  
A special bond had formed between us because of our conversations at the supermarket over the past month and a half, but the past night in Ninomiya’s home this bond had grown and was reinforced to the point where I now considered him a friend. Someone close to me with whom I could share my thoughts and doubts.  
  
When I finished showering, drying off and getting dressed, I put my toiletries into a small pouch then placed it inside the carryall I had prepared and closed it. I glanced at the fish-shaped clock I had on my night table and saw that it wasn’t even noon yet, and I had arranged to meet Ninomiya at the entrance to Koishikawa Korakuen at one. I still had more than an hour of free time.  
  
I walked to the front door, where I left my bag, and then walked back to the kitchen for a glass of water.  
  
In the sink, there were only two mugs with the remains of sencha. I stared at them for a few seconds and looked around. I opened the dishwasher, which was empty, and then I checked the fridge. All the food that had been there the night before was still there. I opened the trash can, no traces of a package of instant ramen or any other food bought in a konbini, and everything in the pantry was left untouched as well. Sho hadn’t eaten dinner or breakfast. He probably hadn’t had any food in the last 24 hours.  
  
I sighed and almost unconsciously, I began gathering the ingredients to make an omuraisu. An hour was more than enough.  
  
Sho was a disaster with his meals and sleep. He always left them as the last priority in his life, despite sometimes reaching the point of exhaustion and losing several kilos in a week. Since we had been together, I took it upon myself to never let those things happen again, which is why I always left food made at noon and asked him to get home no later than nine. I wanted to see him and spend time with him, of course, but I also wanted him to sleep at least eight hours if he was going to spend more than twelve hours working.  
  
While the rice was boiling, I chopped the vegetables and chicken I was going to use as a filling for the omelet and once again, I couldn’t help remembering that weekend in Kasumigaura.  
  
That Sunday night, we had a delicious omuraisu dinner at the lake house, and Sho had said omuraisu was possibly one of his favorite meals. Simple, but if it was well made, he enjoyed it as if it were the most expensive sushi. I was already crazy about Sho, but that little comment made me fall for him completely. And there was no turning back.  
  
I wanted Sho in my life.  
  
I’m a coward when it comes to confessions, and expressing my feelings is not my strongest point either, but I had decided I was going to take a risk for once. Sho was worth it. I couldn’t let him go without even trying, anyway. I knew I would regret it forever if I did it.  
  
That’s why I left my bedroom door open that night.  
  
For me, it wasn’t just my bedroom that I was letting him into. I was wide-opening the doors of my heart and asking him to step into my life, without putting any obstacle or impediment. And I think he understood, because it took him only a couple of seconds to enter and close the door behind him.  
  
He wasn’t looking at me; he looked a little embarrassed, and didn’t move. His cheeks were tinged a soft pink color and I could see perfectly how his eyes sparkled in the warm light of the room. It made me smile like an idiot, captivated by the image of that almost perfect man, who now looked as vulnerable as a child.  
  
I invited him in and told him to make himself comfortable.  
  
There was a little table with a chair on one of the sides of the room, but I told him he could sit down on the bed, right next to me. I remembered how he’d nodded and walked to the bed, stiff as a broomstick, which made me laugh out loud, further embarrassing him; he apologized in almost a whisper.  
  
And I thought I would die of love.  
  
I sat on the bed, crossed my legs and tried to ease the mood by speaking about different things. I asked him about his hobbies, his habits, the things he liked besides omuraisu. But half an hour later, the tension between us was impossible to ignore.  
Sho slowly moved closer, and I knew he was going to kiss me. I was waiting for it and I was ready. Even so, when his lips touched mine, my heart soared. It began to race inside my chest. I closed my eyes and got carried away, returning the kiss and throwing my arms around his neck to make him fall back on the bed.  
  
It was a perfect night. Full of caresses, kisses, hugs, smiles, whispers... and then we fell asleep. In each other’s arms. Skin against skin in that bed that wasn’t even ours.  
  
The next morning, both of us would go back to Tokyo.  
  
He had told the company he’d arrive around eleven, and I had to be back around twelve to have lunch and go to work in the afternoon, like every Monday. So we took a shower and had breakfast at around ten. Slowly, savoring every second we spent together.  
  
The two of us knew we would have to part in less than an hour, but I didn’t want to let go off him. I had gotten used to have him by my side during those two intense days, and now I didn’t want it to come to an end. Even when both of us returned to our jobs in Tokyo, I wanted to at least have some contact with Sho.  
  
I made up my mind once again.  
  
I told him I was going to feel lonely without him, but when I was about to ask for his phone number, his e-mail or any other information that would allow me to keep him in my life in some way or another, he came right out and asked me to live with him.  
I’m not going to lie, I was surprised. I wasn’t expecting him to say something like that. But it only confirmed that he felt the same way as I did, so, after the initial shock, I smiled and accepted his invitation to live with him. That same day, without thinking about it any further. I didn’t want to spend even a single second apart from him.  
  
Sho drove us to Tokyo in his car and I never went back to my mom’s place. I called her so she wouldn’t worry and knew I was fine, but I left my suitcase at Sho’s place before going to work, and picked up the rest of my things at night to move into his apartment.  
  
Into the apartment we now called home.  
  
I couldn’t believe more than two years had passed since that weekend. I always felt as if it all had happened just the day before because of how clearly I remembered every single moment, every caress, every word.  
Every kiss.  
  
I finished wrapping the filling of rice, chicken, tomato sauce and vegetables with the egg, and carefully placed the omelet on a plate. Then I decorated it with his name, as if I were a woman in love, and gently covered it with a plastic lid so it wouldn’t get smashed. My intention was to let Sho know I hadn’t left forever, that I was still thinking about him and loved him, and that I cared about his health.  
  
I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and checked the hour. Only a couple of minutes past twelve-thirty.  
  
I opened the e-mail application and sent an e-mail to Sho.

  
  
_"Ohayou~_  
  
_I left an omuraisu in the kitchen._  
  
_I saw you only had tea since last night and I got worried._  
  
_Eat and sleep properly, please._  
  
_I’ll be back on Monday as promised._  
  
_Satoshi"_

 

I closed my cellphone, put it back in my pocket and sighed.  
  
Sho replied right away with an e-mail full of hearts and happy emotes, thanking me. But it didn’t make me happy at all. I was overwhelmed and tired of the situation. I felt as if I was rejecting any contact Sho tried to have with me. I needed time, even when I didn’t want the situation to last long.  
  
I wanted to smile again at his e-mails and get excited to see his name on the screen when my cellphone rang, but I wasn’t able to at that moment. I was too hurt.  
I grabbed my bag, put on my shoes and left home.  
  
I had to take the metro to meet Ninomiya.


	14. Aiba

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I was surprised to see so many missed calls from Sho-chan.  
  
It was around noon when I woke up. It was Saturday morning and I had been out with Jun the night before. We had dinner and went to a karaoke, just the two of us, and well, that room became an improvised love nest.  
  
I rubbed my eyes, still half asleep, and grabbed my cellphone.  
  
Because I got home around three or four in the morning, I was so exhausted I passed out as soon as my head hit the pillow and not even my cellphone’s vibration woke me up, so I was alarmed to see more than ten missed calls and an e-mail from Sho-chan.  
  
I’ve known him since the first day we met in college, almost ten years ago now, and we’ve always stayed in contact. Sho-chan had always been my closest friend, with whom I shared not only anecdotes and opinions, but my problems and my most private feelings. Those I’d never tell anyone else. And I think it was mutual because he used to call asking for my advice, and knew I was always available for him.  
  
We didn’t see each other as often anymore because we both had our own separate lives. Sho-chan had started his own business, which seemed to be booming, and I was a salaryman at a multinational corporation. Aside from that, he had found Ohno two years ago, who was his current partner.  
  
We tried to meet once every two weeks, at least, even if it was just to have a little chat and tell each other how things were going. The phone was too cold and we didn’t want to put a lot of distance between us. But it wasn’t normal for him to call so insistently, much less during the weekend, when he was supposed to have more time to spend with Ohno.  
  
I opened my inbox and read Sho’s mail.  
  
  
_"Aiba-chan~_  
  
I need to tell you something and ask for your advice.  
  
Call me when you have time, please.  
  
Satoshi left and I don’t know what to do...  
  
Sho"  
  
  
I forgot to breathe for a few seconds. I immediately sat up and looked for Sho-chan’s number as if my life depended on it. I dialed it and waited impatiently for an answer.  
  
"Aiba-chan! Finally!", he exclaimed right away.  
  
"What happened, Sho? You got me worried..."  
  
Jun, who was lying next to me, sat up and kissed my shoulder.  
  
"Ohayou...", he whispered, so as not to interrupt me.  
  
I felt a little more relaxed. Jun always made me feel protected.  
  
"I messed up big time yesterday", Sho said in the other end of the line. "And Satoshi left. I’m hysterical"  
  
I glanced over at the clock on the bedside table.  
  
"Have you eaten lunch yet?", I asked him. "We can go somewhere so you can tell me the whole story..."  
  
"I would really appreciate that. I need to talk to you and hear your thoughts on this because I’m lost, I don’t know what to do anymore"  
  
"I’ll meet you in about an hour in Asakusa, as usual?"  
  
"Yeah, I could use some of that tempura right about now"  
  
"See you in a bit then. Try to stay calm, OK? You’ll see, everything will turn out just fine..."  
  
He sighed. Long and deep.  
  
"I hope you’re right, because I feel like I seriously screwed up this time, Aiba-chan"  
  
"We’ll talk soon and you can tell me everything"  
  
"Thank you. You’re always there for me"  
  
When I hung up, Jun wrapped his arms around me and gave me warm squeeze.  
  
"What’s wrong? You look worried. Who was it?"  
  
"It was Sho-chan. I think he’s having some problems with Ohno"  
  
"Sho and Ohno? Aren’t they the ones you always refer to as ‘the perfect couple’?"  
  
"Yeah", I said turning around a little to look at him. "Ohno left home and Sho-chan sounded so desperate. It makes me sad, Jun. Those two are meant to be... they adore each other"  
  
"Then they should be able to get over this, don’t you think?"  
  
"I hope so", I sighed. "It’d break my heart if things ended like this..."  
  
I checked the clock on my cellphone and kissed Jun’s lips.  
  
"I have to get dressed. I promised Sho-chan we would have lunch together at our usual place"  
  
"OK, don’t worry. I’ll call Nino or order a pizza"  
  
I smiled, jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom to take a quick shower. Then I put on my clothes as quickly as possible and grabbed my things from the bedside table. Keys, cellphone and wallet.  
  
Before leaving, I kissed Jun again, who was lying back on his pillow, reading, and told him I loved him. He just smiled and said goodbye before going back to his book.  
  
Jun was like that. He didn’t express much with words, he was more a person of gestures.  
  
I took the subway to Asakusa and when I got there I found Sho already waiting at the door of the restaurant, even when I was arriving almost fifteen minutes early. We went in, sat down at one of the tables and ordered the same thing we always did.  
  
Some things never change.  
  
Sho-chan’s eyes were lifeless and he seemed slightly downcast as I sipped my hot tea and observed him. His hands were around his cup of tea and he moved it in silent circles on the table.  
  
"I...", he started to say. "I don’t know how to live without Satoshi, Aiba-chan. If he doesn’t come back, I don’t know what I’m going to do"  
  
"What happened for you to be like this, Sho? Is this the first time you’ve had an argument with him?"  
  
"It’s not the first time, but we don’t argue very often. What worries me the most is... he left... He’s never left home like that before"  
  
"So then, whatever happened is really that serious?"  
  
Sho-chan told me everything that had happened in recent months between the two of them, when Ohno seemed to have grown tired of Sho’s work. He told me how he had unintentionally stood him up the night before, how his secretary had caused trouble between them, how Ohno wasn’t there when Sho got home and that he was unable to contact him.  
  
"Were you able to speak with him in the end?", I asked him.  
  
"Yes... but he didn’t accept my explanations... I don’t even know if he believed me because, when I said we could still go to Kasumigaura... his tone was sharp and accusatory..."  
  
"I see...", I said biting my lower lip. "The first thing you should do is fire that secretary of yours. She makes me uneasy, Sho-chan~ Maybe, if she hadn’t told Ohno you were in a meeting and passed you the call, he’d have stayed at home and waited for you"  
  
He nodded in silence, staring down at his bowl of tempura.  
  
"When you spoke with him, did he say anything about going home or how long he was planning to be gone?"  
  
"He said he needed some time to think and sort out his feelings, but he would be back on Monday"  
  
"Where is he? Do you know?"  
  
"Looks like he’s at a hotel"  
  
This time I was the one who nodded.  
  
"What if he doesn’t come back, Aiba-chan? Or even worse, what if he comes back to say he’s fed up and wants to leave me?"  
  
"That’s not going to happen, Sho. You adore each other. He’s not going to suddenly stop loving you"  
  
"The problem is that... I think this has been building up for some time now... and the incident yesterday was just the straw that broke the camel’s back"  
  
"Why didn’t you speak to him before then? Before he exploded"  
  
"I was afraid of bringing it up, of him telling me he didn’t want to be with me anymore. That he was fed up with always having to wait for me and that I never had time for him"  
  
"Sho... you shouldn’t have done that..."  
  
"I know. Because of my selfishness and cowardise, I messed up... I wanted to act as if nothing was happening in order to avoid hearing the truth or the fact that he could decide to leave me... and I made it all worse in the end..."  
  
"Well, it’s not worth lamenting the past. What you have to do now is..."  
  
The sound of Sho’s cellphone on the table interrupted me.  
  
He grabbed the phone and opened it right away. Then he looked at me.  
  
"It’s an e-mail from Satoshi"  
  
"Read it! What are you waiting for?"  
  
He read it silently and I saw how a little smile appeared on his lips.  
  
I guessed it was good news, so I relaxed a little and smiled as well. While he was replying, I took the chance to finish my tempura bowl, and then I put it aside.  
  
"So?", I asked when I saw he closed his phone.  
  
"It was Satoshi...", he replied with that half smile still on his face.  
  
And he popped almost an entire shrimp into his mouth. I laughed. I liked seeing that he had regained his appetite because that meant he was feeling better.  
  
"You told me that already", I laughed again. "But what did he say?"  
  
He passed me his cellphone because he was busy trying to chew that kuruma ebi he had put into his mouth, and I read Ohno’s e-mail. It confirmed my suspicions: the situation could be fixed.  
  
"See?", I said. "You mean a lot to him, Sho-chan. He worries about you even when you let him down and he’s hurting"  
  
He eagerly nodded and motioned for me to read his reply.  
  
  
_"Thank you!_  
  
I will have it for dinner tonight~   
  
Sho"  
  
  
...  
  
_Facepalm_  
  
"Sho-chan..."  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"What in the world made you think about sending happy emotes and hearts to him at a time like this?"  
  
"Well... I wanted to say 'I love you' but then I thought it might be too much..."  
  
"That would have been even worse. Just a 'Thank you' would have sufficed"  
  
"But then I would’ve sounded too cold, as if I didn’t care about him. And I’m truly excited about the omuraisu!"  
  
"Well, it doesn’t matter now. You’ve sent it already, so there’s no turning back... The important thing is that he hasn’t completely closed himself off, so call him tomorrow in the morning, but don’t pressure him, OK? Ask him how his day went and nothing more. Let him tell you what he wants or needs to say, don’t overwhelm him with questions"  
  
He nodded.  
  
"OK, I’ll call him. Thank you, Aiba-chan~"  
  
I smiled. Just seeing him more cheerful was enough for me.  
  
"But do you really think I messed up again with that e-mail?"  
  
"A little, but well, if he didn’t leave you after what happened yesterday, I doubt your e-mail will be such a big deal"  
  
"I’m worried though..."  
  
"Just call him tomorrow and see if he’s receptive, talk to him about the omuraisu, and see how he reacts. Then you’ll know for sure if your e-mail annoyed him or not"  
  
"OK"  
  
"But, above all, speak to him seriously when he comes back on Monday. You have to make things clear between the two of you"  
  
We talked a little more about his relationship.  
  
Sho-chan knew his addiction to work was the cause of everything, and that if he didn’t change soon in that sense, he was going to lose Ohno. It made me really sad when he told me, practically in tears, that he wanted to change, that Ohno was the most important thing in his life, but he didn’t know how to do it. I told him he had to tell Ohno the exact same thing he was telling me, so that he could understand him, and then they could try to find a solution together.  
  
When he finished his tempura, we paid and I took him to Odaiba, for a visit to the Oedo Onsen Monogatari.  
  
I knew Sho-chan like I knew myself and when he was alone, he thought way too much, so I decided to keep him distracted as long as possible.  
  
I sent an e-mail to Jun explaining the situation and letting him know I wouldn’t be home until the evening. He replied saying there was no problem.  
  
I smiled as we crossed over Rainbow Bridge in Sho’s car.  
  
Jun was just perfect.


	15. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

A foolish smile appeared on my lips when I saw him.  
  
I was waiting at the entrance to Korakuen, thinking how I would adopt my most attractive pose when he arrived. I imagined myself slightly raising my hand, greeting him off-handedly with a 'Yo~' and entering the gardens ahead of him, as if I were annoyed to have waited for him.  
  
But when I saw him getting closer, in those jeans that accentuated his thighs, the white t-shirt with black, rock-styled designs, and that matching white vest, all my plans instantly vanished.  
  
I waved effusively, as if I hadn’t seen him in years, and showed that foolish smile.  
  
_Very clever, Ninomiya_  
  
He greeted me with his usual bow.  
  
"Were you able to get everything you needed?", I asked.  
  
"Yes, actually, I had almost an hour to spare"  
  
I nodded and offered to take his things to my car, which was parked nearby.  
  
"By the way", I said as we returned to the gardens. "You snore a lot"  
  
I laughed, trying to show him that I was only joking.  
  
"Gomen... ", he whispered.  
  
Did his gentleness have no limit? The way he looked down and how his cheeks flushed was so adorable that I couldn’t help but show once again that smile I hated with all my might because it let the rest of the world catch a glimpse of my real feelings.  
  
"Ma~ Ma~ It’s not a big deal. After all, the one who has to hear that snoring every night is Sakurai"  
  
_Oops! You’re a real big mouth, Nino_  
  
"Yeah", he replied. "But he talks in his sleep, so I suffer as well"  
  
"Really? That doesn’t sound very refined"  
  
"And he takes his clothes off in his sleep"  
  
_Kill me now!_  
  
Had he actually said that Sakurai takes his clothes off in his sleep? As if it was the most natural thing in the world?  
  
"What do you mean he takes his clothes off in his sleep?"  
  
"He takes his pants off while he’s sleeping, and sometimes his underwear"  
  
I couldn’t help cracking up. Was he speaking for real? With such a straight face?  
  
"I’m serious, don’t laugh", he complained. "It isn’t comfortable to find pants or underwear floating around in your bed at three in the morning"  
  
I couldn’t stop laughing. Ohno was a box of surprises.  
  
"How can I not laugh when you’re telling me your boyfriend strips in his sleep? You can’t imagine the mental image I’m having..."  
  
He blushed slightly and giggled.  
  
"I’ve said too much, right? Gomen..."  
  
"What about you? Don’t you take your clothes off during the night?"  
  
"If I did, I wouldn’t be sleeping at your place. It’d be embarrassing..."  
  
"I guess I’ll have to take your clothes off myself then", I replied with a wink.  
  
His face at that moment was priceless. He took it completely seriously and stared at me as if I were from another planet.  
  
"I’m only joking, don’t get nervous"  
  
"Don’t play with that, Nino. We’re in a public space, everybody can see us... and I have a partner..."  
  
At least I’d managed to have him calling me by 'Nino' on the first try.  
  
_Nice!_  
  
"OK, OK. Tell me about yourself then. Where do you work, for example?"  
  
He told me he was working the afternoon shift at a kissaten. Apparently he had been working there for six years, so he was now the manager and had a fixed shift. I told him it was the same at the supermarket, we all changed shifts except for the managers: one had always the mornings, and the other the afternoons.  
  
"How come you always work mornings then?", he asked as we sat down on a bench.  
  
"Well, not always. Three out of every four weeks, but that’s because I asked my co-workers to switch shifts for me"  
  
"Do you like working in the morning?"  
  
"No. I’d rather work in the afternoon, but you don’t come to the supermarket in the afternoon"  
  
He laughed. I don’t think he took me seriously.  
  
"I like to work in the afternoon", he said. "So I can sleep in the morning"  
  
"I see..."  
  
I looked down, trying to think of how to continue the conversation, and my eyes found his hands. I held one of them, almost unconsciously, and touched those long fingers that had caught my attention so many times at the supermarket.  
  
Every muscle in his body tensed up.  
  
"Relax. I don’t bite", I said off-handedly.  
  
I was too busy exploring those fingers with my eyes, and with my own fingers. Drawing their outline had become a fascinating activity.  
  
"You have beautiful fingers..."  
  
"T-Thank you"  
  
"Don’t be scared. I do this sort of thing fairly often with my friends", I said looking up for a moment. "I like physical contact"  
  
"Ah... well... I guess... it’s fine then..."  
  
I left his hand on his lap and sighed.  
  
"Seriously now, I don’t want you to be tense around me. I know sometimes I’m a little weird, you know, straightforward and very open, but I’m never going to do anything you don’t want me to do. You don’t have to worry"  
  
He nodded. I looked at him.  
  
"Anyway", I continued. "Last night was... interesting, don’t you think?"  
  
"Interesting?"  
  
I noticed his body had begun to relax and his tone of voice sounded more natural.  
  
"You ended up in my futon. That’s interesting to me", I laughed.  
  
And he smiled for the second time that day.  
  
_Otsukaresama, Nino~_  
  
I couldn’t help but smile with him.  
  
The tension was completely gone and now he laughed with my jokes, he even touched my hand or my arm every now and then while speaking.  
  
_Nino, dude, you’re the man_  
  
"What time is it?", he asked some minutes later. "I’m starting to get hungry..."  
  
"Do you want to have lunch now?"  
  
He nodded.  
  
I glanced at my watch and realized it was later than I thought. Time had flown.  
  
"I have to be at work in two hours anyway, so let’s go"  
  
We walked out of Korakuen and went straight to the ramen shop in front of the Tokyo Dome. I grabbed tickets for both of us from the machine outside the shop, we filled out a sheet with the ingredients we wanted in our ramen and we finally took a seat when it was our turn.  
  
_At last!_  
  
That place was divided into individual cubicles separated by wooden planks on each side, and noren separated the customers from the staff. They were always closed, so you wouldn’t see them and they wouldn’t see you, and the only time they moved was when the staff served the ramen.  
  
"Sumimasen~", I called to the man that had served my ramen. "Could you take the divider away? We’re together", I explained pointing to both Ohno and myself as I spoke.  
  
Ohno was so engrossed sipping the soup of his ramen, even though it was hot and extra spicy, that I doubt he realized the plank that was previously between us wasn’t there anymore until he set his bowl aside and reached out for some chopsticks.  
  
"Oh", he said. "Where’s the divider?"  
  
I couldn’t help but laugh. Such a special person he was.  
  
"I ordered them to take it away, so we could continue speaking"  
  
"That’s nice"  
  
It was his only reply before continue eating his ramen, enjoying every noodle, every bite of his boiled pork and each one of the vegetables as if there was no tomorrow. He looked happy. And I couldn’t help smiling as I observed him from the corner of my eye, while eating my own bowl of ramen.  
  
"I assume you like it?", I asked amused.  
  
He nodded and finished the remainder of his soup.  
  
"Very good. The best ramen I’ve had in a long time"  
  
"I told you it was a stellar ramen", I laughed.  
  
"It’s not stellar, it’s galactic! And the best part was that the serving was big, so I’m completely satisfied"  
  
He touched his stomach to indicate he was full and I didn’t waste the chance.  
  
"Let me take a look", I said placing my hand on his belly. "Oh, it’s true! You have around two kilos more in here"  
  
He looked at himself and laughed.  
  
"It’s mostly water. I’ll lose it soon"  
  
I smirked.  
  
"I know a good way to lose the kilos that aren’t water..."  
  
I couldn’t hold back anymore.  
  
I grabbed his t-shirt and pulled him towards me at the same time I moved closer to kiss those lips that had been asking for it the entire morning. What am I saying? The entire morning... those entire two months! Each with its 30 days, every day with its 24 hours.  
  
He kept still at first, but as my lips moved eagerly over his, he closed his eyes and kissed me back, placing his hand on one of my cheeks.  
  
It was a clumsy kiss, due to the awkward position we were in, but it was passionate and desired by both of us. I could tell by the way he moved his lips. He wasn’t acting simply because of my eagerness. He was actively participating, parting his lips and allowing his tongue to search for mine.  
  
I was excited to see he was giving me the green light and sat up slightly in my chair, invading some of his personal space, while my hand was busy exploring his inner thighs. Those shapely, supple thighs inside those tight jeans were driving me crazy.  
  
I would have continued and gone much further if he hadn’t placed his free hand on my chest and gently moved me away, finishing the kiss.  
  
"There are people here...", he said.  
  
"Do you think anyone is going to look up from their ramen?"  
  
I made an attempt to kiss him again, but he leaned back slightly, indicating he didn’t want me to do it, and moved his thumb over my cheek, caressing it in his own way.  
  
I sighed.  
  
I left his thighs alone, let go of his t-shirt, sat properly on my chair and continued eating, frustrated and somehow annoyed. He didn’t say anything, I guess he was busy thinking what had just happened, and I only wanted more.  
  
I wanted to kiss him again and touch his thighs, take off his clothes, stroke his hair, kiss his neck...  
  
I wasn’t even able to finish the ramen, as delicious as it was. I left the disposable chopsticks on the bowl, stood up and walked out to the street.  
  
Ohno followed me in silence.  
  
"Nino... I...", he said once we were outside the shop. "...I’m sorry..."  
  
"There’s nothing for you to be sorry about. If you don’t feel like it, you don’t feel like it"  
  
The silence returned.  
  
After a few minutes, I clicked my tongue.  
  
"I’m going to be late..."  
  
"Go to work, don’t worry about me", he said quickly.  
  
"I’m not going to leave you alone"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"I’ve called a friend to keep you company while I’m at work"  
  
"You don’t need to bother him. Really, there are a thousand things I can do while you’re at work"  
  
"I said I’m not going to leave you alone"  
  
I’ll admit my tone was brusque, maybe more than necessary because he lowered his head and said nothing else.  
  
"Finally!", I exclaimed when I saw Jun approaching us. "I don’t have much time, so I’ll introduce you two very quickly: Matsumoto Jun, Ohno Satoshi. Ohno Satoshi, Matsumoto Jun"  
  
Both of them bowed to each other at almost the same time.  
  
I asked Jun to take care of Ohno and left to get my car.  
  
I was annoyed because Ohno had rejected my second kiss in the ramen shop; he had wounded my pride and left me with the horny devil.  
  
But I knew one thing for sure; I didn’t want to see him cry ever again.


	16. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Nino’s friend looked like a foreigner.

We had just walked through Korakuen, where Nino held my hand for a brief moment, and then we had eaten the best ramen in the world inside the shop that was still behind me. And Nino... had kissed me in there... with his warm and a little rough lips that moved roughly over mine, and I could not help but kiss him back and explore every corner of his mouth.

If it were left only to my desire, I would have never stopped kissing him, but I couldn’t help remembering where we were. In a public place, where everyone could see us. Besides, Sho was on my mind. As much as I was attracted to Nino, I couldn’t do that to Sho, I couldn’t betray him in that way, so I ended the kiss. When Nino tried to kiss me a second time, I stopped him. I couldn’t go on, especially in a public place.

I distinctly noticed how Nino didn’t like how I interrupted him, and even less how I rejected him. He sat back in his chair and tried to finish his bowl of ramen, but gave up within a minute and rushed out of the restaurant ahead of me. I followed him in silence and tried to apologize when we were outside, but his replies were sharp and harsh, even when he said he had called his friend because he didn’t want to leave me alone. So I decided to keep quiet.

And now there I was, at the Tokyo Dome City, with a person I didn’t know at all, whose gaze pierced through me with those dark, rounded eyes. Deep as an abyss.

"So you’re Ohno Satoshi, right?", he asked, as if he were reading my insides.

I felt intimidated and, somehow, exposed under that inquisitive look of his.

"Hai..."

"I’m Matsumoto Jun, as Nino told you. You can call me Jun, if you’d like"

"Matsumoto is fine"

"As you wish", he said with a shrug.

He looked around, scanning the area with his dark eyes. Then he looked at me and remained quiet, almost thoughtful.

"Do you know the café next to Shinagawa Station?"

I shook my head. No words came to my mouth.

"I’ll take you there then. They make an excellent cup of coffee"

"I don’t drink coffee"

"You don’t drink coffee or you haven’t tried it enough?"

I remained silent once again.

That guy seriously intimidated me with such self-confidence, not very Japanese-like.

"OK, it doesn’t matter", he said when he saw I had no intention of replying. "Let’s get the subway. No matter where we decide to go, we have to take the subway anyhow"

He started walking and I followed.

When we reached the station, he turned around and looked at me. I’d swear he was irritated.

"Listen, I feel strange with you walking behind me like that..."

"Gomen nasai..."

"OK, I’ll assume you don’t like to talk much, but at least walk alongside me, will you?"

I nodded.

"Matsumoto-san..."

"Hm?"

"I appreciate you being here, keeping me company", I looked at him. "Wherever we go, it’s fine with me"

I needed to gather all my courage to say those words, but it was worth it because Matsumoto’s expression softened and I think I even saw a smile on his lips.

"I’m doing this for Nino, actually. Come on, let’s go"

I nodded again and followed him to the platform for the Marunouchi line.

We left the subway in Tokyo station and changed over to the Yamanote line to Shinagawa. The journey took us around half an hour, but neither Matsumoto nor I said anything the entire way there. Even when we got off at Shinagawa, we walked in silence until we reached the café he spoke about.

"It’s right here", he said.

I looked up and my mouth dropped. It was no doubt, a luxury establishment.

The exterior had an expensive look to it, but the inside was even more lavish. The colors, the couches, the staff, the lamps... everything seemed as if it were taken straight from a Hollywood movie. I couldn’t stop looking around and trying to burn every detail into my retinas, I had to tell Nino about it.

While Matsumoto greeted the manager, who seemed to be an old acquaintance, I glanced about for a sampling of the food on the menu. Would they have curry? I had just eaten a bowl of ramen, but it was mostly water, so it was more than digested after an hour.

When a waitress with short hair came and seated us at our table, I asked if they had a menu. She asked me to wait a moment and excused herself, in a very refined way.

"They have many varieties of coffee here", Matsumoto said. "My favorite is Jamaican"

"Blue Mountain?"

"No, that one is sweet, I only order it when I come here with my boyfriend because he can’t stand bitter coffee and never finishes his cup. He gets tired of it after the second sip and I have to finish it"

I wasn’t surprised to hear he had a partner. Matsumoto was a tall, attractive man, I was sure he was popular among men and women.

"Ah, I see. I’ve only tried regular coffee"

"Which variety?"

"I don’t know. Just plain, old coffee, I guess. The kind we serve at the kissaten"

"Oh, so you work in a kissaten?"

"Yeah, in Ginza"

"Ginza! It must be an expensive place then, no?"

"Not exactly", I said looking around again. "It’s a small place, very familiar, with only three of us working there", I looked back at Matsumoto. "Nothing like this place"

"Have you been working there a long time?"

"About six years"

"Oh, wow! Your boss must be happy with you then"

"Well... kind of..."

At that moment, the girl with short hair returned with the menu. I opened it and looked for the meals section, but I couldn’t find it anywhere.

"Don’t they have curry in this place?"

"Eh? Curry?", he laughed. "No, they don’t serve curry"

"Naporitan? Pizza? Hot dogs?"

He cracked up. It looked like he was having fun.

"There’s only coffee here. If you were hungry, why didn’t you say something earlier?"

"Well, I don’t know, I thought they’d have a meals menu, like any other kissaten"

"This is a western café, it’s nothing like our kissaten"

"What the heck...", I grumbled.

He laughed again, though I didn’t see what was so funny.

"Now I understand why Nino has his eye on you, you’re very special"

"What?"

Was he laughing at me? I was beginning to get that impression.

"Oh, don’t take it the wrong way, please. See, you’re nothing special when it comes to appearances... "

He probably noticed I was frowning because he stopped and tried to rephrase himself.

"I mean... if I were to compare you to the other men Nino has been with up until now, don’t misunderstand me"

"Yeah, I’m relieved now", I too, could be ironic.

"No, really, you should see the ikemen he has been with. Practically perfect men, physically. You have to understand I was surprised to see him with such an ordinary Japanese guy"

It would have been better if he’d said what he had to say and stopped trying to explain himself. He was only making things worse.

He cleared his throat when he saw I was still frowning and didn’t reply.

"Well, I just... I see you’re someone very special... that’s why Nino chose you..."

"Listen, nobody chose me. I met Nino at the supermarket by chance and we ended up getting along, there’s nothing else to it"

"I know the whole story, Nino told me. I also know about the kiss"

I froze.

"What about the futon?", I asked.

"Yeah, I know how you climbed into his futon in the middle of the night"

I was headed down a one-way street.

At this point, I could only be honest.

"It isn’t what it seems. I have a partner, you know? For two years now..."

"I know. So what?"

"We’re just going through a rough patch and Nino is helping me out. He’s keeping me company while I try to sort out my feelings"

"Come on, I wasn’t born yesterday, Ohno"

"I’m telling you the truth. I love Sho"

"Why did you kiss Nino then? He said you weren’t exactly acting indifferent"

"I don’t know... I... I don’t know... I find Nino very attractive and I couldn’t control the situation. But it was only a one-time thing, I’m not going to let it happen again"

"If you only want a friendship, make it clear to him. Nino is my friend and I don’t want him to end up suffering, understand?"

I nodded.

"I’ve known him for years and I’m sure he made his intentions clear the first minute you met. Do the same, for the sake of you both. It’s a delicate situation"

"I know for certain the one I love is Sho, and I’ll be back at home with him in a couple of days. Nino knows that because he heard me talking on the phone with him this morning"

"Make it clear to him, anyway"

"I will"

"Listen, and this is just out of personal curiosity, what is it that Sho has and Nino doesn’t?"

"Well, I don’t like to compare people, but Sho is generous, sweet, hard working, affectionate, handsome... and very sincere. He’s the most transparent person I’ve ever known. You can see it on his face if he’s happy or sad, and he always expresses so much love with just one look..."

"In other words, you’re madly in love"

I nodded again and pulled my cellphone out of my pocket. I looked through the pictures until I found one of Sho and me, eating curry at our friends’ house.

"Here, this is Sho", I said passing him my cellphone. "He’s got a perfect smile, doesn’t he?

Matsumoto took my phone and analyzed the picture with his big eyes.

"He’s not bad..."

"What do you mean he’s not bad? He’s one of the most attractive men in Tokyo"

I firmly nodded at my own statement, which made Matsumoto laugh again. But I didn’t mind this time. Somehow, I was feeling better after having that conversation with him, almost relaxed.

When he finished his Jamaican coffee and I finished my Blue Mountain, we left the café and took the Yamanote line to Yoyogi, then walked a little towards the supermarket in my neighborhood, where Nino was still working.

I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost nine, which meant he was about to finish for the day.

"Remember what we talked about at the café, OK?"

I nodded.

"Don’t worry"

"It’s the best thing for you two if you make things clear and want to avoid misunderstandings. Nino, sometimes, is too straightforward and doesn’t even ask before acting, and you gave cause for him to think you wanted the same thing he did with that kiss in the ramen shop"

I nodded, blushing a little this time. He laughed.

Not even ten minutes had passed when I saw Nino coming out of the supermarket, in the same clothes he wore that afternoon and a smile on his face.

Would he still be mad?

"Thank you, Jun. Remind me to treat you to lunch next time", he said.

"You’re really going to treat me to lunch?!", Matsumoto asked surprised.

Nino laughed and I could see how he winked at him. Matsumoto turned to me and pierced through me once again with his gaze, dark and deep. And I wanted to dig a hole in the ground and hide inside. He still intimidated me, despite having spent a rather pleasant afternoon with him.

Nino thanked Matsumoto again as we said goodbye to him and looked at me as we walked to his car. There was something different in that look, but I couldn’t tell what it was.

"I grabbed something for dinner", he said showing me a bag in his hand.

"You’re not mad anymore?"

"I never was"

I smiled.

That was the Nino I liked.


	17. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I had something special prepared for that night.

When we arrive at my apartment in Chiba, I left the grocery bag next to the stove and took off my coat. Ohno came in behind and, the moment I turned around to hang my coat on the hook, I heard him grab the bag.

"No!", I yelled as I hurried to close the bag by placing my hand over it.

He was startled and jumped back, still trying to figure out what had happened.

"Ah, sorry. You said you had bought something for dinner... and well... I thought I could make dinner tonight..."

I smiled, trying to soften the situation.

"Sorry, I didn’t mean to yell at you"

He looked at me for a second, and ended up smiling as well.

I sighed, relieved.

"At home, I am the one who cooks", he said. "Sho doesn’t have time, plus he’s a disaster in the kitchen anyway"

I nodded.

"You don’t have to worry about that here. You’re my guest"

"Can I help out at least? I feel bad not doing anything"

"I had planned on making some curry. Do you want to chop up the vegetables?"

"OK"

The smile on his face widened.

It seemed that eating wasn’t the only thing that made Ohno happy. He also enjoyed cooking.

I felt relieved when he moved away to hang up his coat, and while he was distracted I took the opportunity to empty the bag on the small counter and hid one of the jars I had bought way in the back of one of the cupboards. I wanted it to be a surprise.

I took out several cooking utensils and a pot to make the curry.

Ohno returned to the kitchen area and began to chop the onions, carrots and potatoes, while I sautéed the beef. When we put everything in the pot and added the water, I leaned onto the countertop and observed him stirring the mixture.

He was 100% edible, more than what was inside the pot.

I placed myself behind him, laid my hands on his waist and rested my chin on his shoulder. I pretended to be watching how he made the stew, though I wasn’t the slightest bit interested in that.

"Looks good"

He nodded, staring into the pot, without stopping his stirring.

"And smells delicious..."

Was that a smile I saw on his lips?

I wrapped my arms around him and made him turn around to face me.

"That has to boil for another half an hour..."

I leaned in slowly, biting my lower lip, ready to kiss him. But I stopped. His smile had disappeared and he now had the expression of someone who found himself in a predicament.

"What’s wrong?", I asked him. "Are you still tense?"

"N-Nino... I have... something to tell you..."

I raised an eyebrow. From his tone, it didn’t sound like good news.

We hadn’t even started and he was going to leave me already?

I waited a few minutes, which felt more like hours.

"I... was speaking to your friend... Matsumoto... this afternoon..."

"About what?"

Hiding my impatience was not an easy task.

"About you... about me... about Sho..."

"About Sakurai? With Jun?"

He nodded.

"Matsumoto said... I should be clear with you..."

"Well, I think you have been pretty clear already. You kissed me back in the ramen shop"

He sighed and looked away.

"I find it difficult to tell you this, Nino...", he looked at me again. "I'm very attracted to you, which I’m sure you’ve noticed, and that’s why you decided to kiss me..."

He paused.

"I don’t know what it is... but there’s something in you that fascinates me and makes me... lose control when you’re this close... like in the ramen shop..."

"But that isn’t bad, is it? You make it sound as if it was a disease or something"

"You’re right, it isn’t bad... or rather, it wouldn’t be if I didn’t have a partner..."

"I think I know what you mean..."

"I’m sorry. I love him a lot"

I let go of him and went to sit down under the kotatsu.

"It’s OK, don’t worry"

I looked up at him and saw him looking back at me with that sad expression.

"I’m sorry", he repeated. "I can go... if you want..."

"I told you I wouldn’t leave you alone. And I still mean it"

He lowered his head. He looked ashamed.

Ohno was making things more difficult than I had anticipated. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to make him forget about his boyfriend and I figured he would be thinking a lot, after we’d kissed. But I never expected him to speak so candidly.

As he finished making dinner, I was sitting down under the kotatsu, trying to find a way to bring him into my field. I couldn’t sleep another night with him by my side, acting as if nothing had happened.

Ohno served two plates of curry. I got up, grabbed a cold tea and chopsticks for the two of us, and then sat by the table, right in front of him. As we ate, he looked sort of downcast and pensive, he didn’t seem to be enjoying the food as he usually did, and I hated that.

Above it all, even my desire to have him in my futon, was his happiness.

"Do you feel suffocated?", I asked him.

I had tried to give him some space, but I couldn’t hold back any longer.

He nodded.

"Because of your boyfriend? Because of me? Because of everything in general?"

"Because of everything in general. I hate my current situation..."

That shine in his eyes told me he wanted to cry again, as he had done the night before. And I didn’t want him to cry again. He was at my place to feel better and accompanied.

I had to think of something, and fast.

I looked at the table and saw he had finished his plate, and I had finished mine a while ago.

A smirk formed on my lips.

"I bought something for dessert", I announced.

"Eh?", he looked up. "Dessert?"

I nodded and stood up, taking the two dirty plates with me to the sink. I opened the cupboard, grabbed the jar I had hid in the back and showed it to him with a grin.

"Ta-da! Surpriiiiiiiseee~"

His eyes widened, he was freaking out.

I walked back to the table and sat in my seat.

"What’s that?", he asked.

"Nutella", I said opening the jar. "See, you have to eat it like this"

I stuck a finger inside the cocoa cream and then I placed it inside my mouth and sucked on it until there wasn’t a trace left.

"Eeeeeeh?! Do you really eat it like that?"

He stared at the jar with a look of surprise, then he moved a little closer to see the contents and how it smelled. I put my finger inside again, took a bit of Nutella and smeared it on his nose while laughing.

His reaction was the cutest in this world.

He jumped back a little and crossed his eyes trying to see the blob of Nutella on his nose. Then he looked at me and pointed at himself.

"You smeared my nose"

"I know", I laughed. "You look handsome"

A half-smile appeared on his lips as he wiped his nose with his finger and then tried the Nutella.

"Uhm... it’s not bad. It’s sweet..."

"Perfect for bitter moments, don’t you think?"

I winked at him and smeared Nutella on his nose once again.

"Oi!", he exclaimed. "This is something personal now!"

He put his finger inside the Nutella and swiped my cheek while laughing. I wasn’t expecting it and stood still for a couple of seconds, looking at him in disbelief, but then I decided to counterattack and mark his face as well. As he said: this was something personal.

Some minutes later, Ohno came around the table with the jar of Nutella in his hand and a big blob on his finger, ready to smear my whole face. I tried to run away, but I stumbled and fell onto the floor. He took advantage of it and pounced on me, with a victorious expression, but I had enough reflexes to stop his finger just as it was about to touch my face.

At that moment, the world stopped.

He looked at me and I looked at him. The both of us were breathing heavily, since we had been playing and laughing for a while, and I felt the leg he had placed over me to immobilize me and saw that finger covered in Nutella that was begging me to put it in inside my mouth...

...and I did...

Since I was already holding his wrist, I took the chance to gently pull his finger down to my mouth and licked it. Slowly. Without taking my eyes away from his. First the tip, playing to be shy, then I licked down his whole finger, in a much less innocent gesture.

I felt him shivering and his leg started to tremble over me.

I sat up, gently took the jar of Nutella away from his hand, taking a little bit of it with my finger and lightly smeared it over his lips, in a slow and provocative motion, right before catching them with my own in a kiss full of passion.

While kissing him, I began to lean against him so that, little by little, he had no other option but to lie back on the tatami.

Now I was the one in control.

I deepened the kiss. My tongue freely explored his mouth, fighting against his in a duel of passion, desire and desperation. I felt every muscle in my body tense up when Ohno’s hands slipped under my shirt and fluttered around my stomach to later travel down my back, scratching at it. That sent shivers down my spine and the lower half of my body reacted.

As I had imagined, those fingers did magic.

My hands slipped under his clothes as well and I only stopped kissing him to be able to quickly get rid of his shirt and mine, then I bit his lower lip and kissed him again, as hungrily and desperate as before. I took the chance to unbutton his pants and slip my hand inside his underwear, without waiting a second, ready to help him a little, but it wasn’t necessary. I found his body had reacted as much as mine and that made me smirk into that endless kiss.

Ohno unbuttoned my pants as well, but he didn’t put his hand inside them. He pulled them down to my ankles and grabbed my ass with both hands, firm and strong, making me moan with pleasure. This time he was the one smirking against my lips, making another shiver run down my spine, turning me on even more. There was no going back.

I quickly got rid of his pants and my body automatically began to move against his, creating friction, as my lips traveled down his jawline to his neck, kissing and biting here and there with so much desire that I thought I might hurt him if I didn’t control myself.

And I couldn’t hold back anymore.

I got rid of the few clothes we had left, prepared Ohno to welcome me and then I got lost inside of him. Completely and irrevocably. His inside was a delight, I felt I couldn’t have enough no matter how fast I moved my hips.

I wanted more, more, more, more... especially the way Ohno was moaning and writhing about. And when I noticed that both of us were beginning to plummet into the abyss, I captured his lips once again in an attempt to silence the suffocated scream that came from his throat.

The air didn’t deserve it. I wanted it only for myself.

Ohno’s scream of pleasure was mine alone.


	18. Jun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I was sure I had seen that face before.

When Nino called that afternoon asking me to serve as company to his newest beau while he was at work, I didn’t expect to see a man so Japanese and so... ordinary? He was rather short, had a large nose, an absent look and a round face. Nothing special. But it was even more surprising that he spoke about his partner so openly, knowing the close relationship I have with Nino. He even showed me a photo where they were eating together something that looked like curry at someone’s place.

And I had seen that face before.

Not Ohno Satoshi’s, but his boyfriend’s, this Sakurai Sho. But I couldn’t put my finger on exactly why his face looked so familiar. Maybe I had seen him at some shop or at a restaurant? I hadn’t asked Ohno where he worked, so that might be the case.

Anyway, I would ask Masaki, just in case he looked familiar to him as well.

Speaking of Masaki, would he be at home?

I pulled my cellphone out of my pocket and dialed his number. He hadn’t taken the car with him so if he was still out, I could pick him up and, if he wanted, we could go and have dinner somewhere.

His phone was busy.

I wasn’t far from home, so I hung up and decided to see if he was there first. Sometimes Masaki spent several hours on the phone when he was home alone and bored, so his phone would probably be busy for a while.

When I reached home, I didn’t need to call out for him to find out if he was there. His voice came from the living room, where he was lively chatting with someone. I took off my shoes, went to the kitchen for a glass of water and silently leaned against the doorframe of the living room in order not to disturb him, while waiting for him to finish.

"You don’t know how happy I am to hear you’re doing better. You left me worried... Yeah, I know it... OK", he laughed and as he shifted on the couch, he saw me.

I waved and smiled at him.

"Oh! Sho-chan, I’ll call you tomorrow. Or you call me if you’re able to talk to Ohno~ Jun is here and I hardly saw him today. I want to give him a smooch... ... OK, you too", he smiled. "Bye-bye~"

He hung up, quickly stood up and came towards me, with all that energy he always had and that smile that shone like the sun on his face.

"Jun~ Why didn’t you say you had arrived?"

He threw his arms around my neck and pouted. I placed my free arm around his waist.

"It looked like you were enjoying the conversation on the phone and I didn’t want to interrupt"

"It was Sho-chan"

"How is he doing?"

"Ohno sent an e-mail while we were having lunch and it seems like that cheered him up. He’s still feeling kind of blue and still had a lot of insecurities, but that’s how he is. At least he didn’t sound so depressed anymore"

_Sho-chan... Ohno..._

Then it all hit me, like a ton of bricks, and I realized everything.

"Masaki... What’s your friend Sho’s surname?"

"Sakurai, why?"

Sakurai Sho. It was the same.

"And Ohno... Did you say his name was Satoshi?"

He nodded.

Ohno Satoshi. It was the same as well.

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?", Masaki laughed.

"Uhm... Do you have any pictures of them? It’d be best if it’s the two of them together... but if it’s only Sakurai, that’ll work"

I was serious all of a sudden and it must have shown on my face that I had realized something because Masaki looked at me with a worried expression, as if trying to figure what was wrong.

"I think I may have some in my cellphone, but... Jun... Has something happened?"

"I only want to make sure of something"

He nodded in silence, even when he didn’t understand practically anything, and walked to the couch to grab his cellphone. He opened it and browsed through the pictures until he found the one he was looking for.

"Is this one OK?", he said getting close to show me the screen.

It was group picture, but it was very clear and the faces could easily be seen.

Masaki was on one side, with his bright smile and that usual pose of his. On his right, there were many people, girls and boys, and I recognized some of the ones he had introduced to me in recent weeks. To his left, I recognized a shy Ohno Satoshi, wrapped in the arms of the very same person who Ohno himself had showed me on his cell phone.

"Is this Sakurai?", I pointed to the guy who had his arms around Ohno.

Masaki nodded and couldn’t hold back anymore.

"Jun, what happened? You’re scaring me"

I sighed and handed back his cellphone.

"This afternoon, Nino called me"

I sighed again.

It was more complex than I had imagined, but I couldn’t keep it to myself. I had to share it with Masaki or I would go crazy. By a strange twist of fate, I had found out Ohno’s secret without meaning to, and Ohno’s boyfriend turned out to be the best friend of my boyfriend.

"Come here", I told him. "Let’s have a seat"

He followed me to the couch where he had been lying a few minutes ago, talking to Sakurai, and looked at me with those small, round eyes, clearly searching to find answers in mine.

"You see... This is complicated... Nino called me to keep the guy he likes company..."

He made a sound similar to a snort. Masaki hated when Nino did that.

"Yes, I know you don’t like it, but he’s my friend... if he asks me for a favor and I can do it, I’ll do it..."

"I don’t like the kind of people Ninomiya hangs out with, and you know that"

"This guy was different, Masaki. And I know you’d get along well with him... because you know him..."

"Eh? What do you mean I know him?"

I pointed to the cellphone, still open in his hands.

"Ohno Satoshi"

He looked at his hand and then at me, almost pale.

"W-what do you mean Ohno Satoshi? Wait, wait... This Ohno Satoshi?", he asked pointing at the screen. "Maybe you’ve mistaken him for someone else. Maybe it’s just someone who looks like him..."

"And whose name is exactly the same?"

"Well, I’m sure there is an explanation, Jun. Ohno is not like that..."

"I think it’s what it seems, Masaki. You know Nino has things very clear and when he likes someone, he goes for it, no matter if they have a partner. And Ohno didn’t exactly seem uncomfortable either"

"But are you sure it was him? I don’t know... I trust you... but it’s hard for me to believe this... I know they’re going through a rough patch right now and Ohno left home, but I don’t see him capable of cheating on Sho-chan"

"Nino told me they kissed, and that Ohno responded and participated"

"Well, Jun... you already know Nino is very... Nino... He tends to exaggerate sometimes"

"Is that what you think?", I said somewhat hurt. After all, Nino was my best friend since we had stopped being lovers almost a year ago. "Your friend Sho, did he mention where Ohno is staying these days?"

"I think he mentioned a hotel, I can’t remember very well"

"There you go"

"What do you mean?"

"Ohno lied to him. He’s at Nino’s place"

"Eh?! At Nino’s?!", he jumped to his feet. "Jun, we have to save him. Nino is an unscrupulous vulture, I don’t want him to confuse Ohno..."

I stood up as well and gently grabbed his hand, to prevent him from dialing Ohno’s or Sakurai’s number, as he had intended.

"Masaki... Ohno wants the same as Nino... "

"No, no, no. I know it’s not like that. Sometimes Ohno is not too bright and I’m sure he thinks Nino is only offering his friendship, when he’s actually trying to confuse him to get laid"

I frowned.

His way of speaking about Nino was beginning to annoy me.

"First, Nino is no vulture. Do you think I would have been with him if it was like that? Do you think I’m that naive and allow people to confuse me?"

He lowered his head, fully aware of his words and tone now.

"And second, Ohno himself admitted to kissing him simply because he felt like it at the time. He told me he loves his boyfriend and that he was going to make things clear to Nino, but I’m not so sure it actually happened. Ohno doesn’t seem like someone who’d put all the cards on the table"

Masaki sighed. Long and slow.

"I... want to believe he did it...", he looked at me with glassy eyes due to self-controlled tears. "If it isn’t like that... and something happened between Nino and Ohno... Sho-chan would be devastated..."

This time I was the one who sighed and embraced him.

"I know it hurts because Sakurai is your friend... but they need to solve this between themselves... we can only observe, or give some advice if they ask for it"

"I know...", he wrapped his arms around me and clung to my shirt. "I hope Sho-chan listens to me and talks things out with Ohno... I don’t want them to fall apart, Jun"

"I make some tea and you tell me exactly what’s happening with them?"

He nodded over my shoulder and kissed my lips before I walked to the kitchen.

As I made some tea I thought about how human beings like to complicate relationships, and how many times we hurt those we love the most because we’re not able to face our own feelings.

When I returned to the living room with two cups of sencha, Masaki told me about the conversation with his friend in Asakusa, his words of advice, the exchange of e-mails... everything. I didn’t know what to think. I didn’t know Ohno or Sakurai well enough to understand what they might be feeling in such a moment.

I didn’t know if Ohno had been honest when he had stated he absolutely loved Sakurai, and then showed me his pictures to me with those eyes full of excitement and pride. Neither did I know if Sakurai was taking care of Ohno like one is supposed to take care of when in a relationship. But I knew Nino wasn’t made of stone, and that afternoon I had seen something in his eyes that told me he was serious about Ohno.

What a fine mess he’d gotten himself into.

He had fallen for another man’s boyfriend and, even when knowing the bond between them hadn’t been completely broken, he persisted in getting in between them and became fully involved.

Was Ohno that important to him?

Nino had never bothered to go after someone that much when he only wanted sex and, apparently, he had been after Ohno for more than two months now, getting to know him and gaining his trust. I don’t think I’d ever seen him act this way with anyone in the five years we had been lovers and then friends.

That definitely wasn’t Nino the hunter. Not at all.

It was a new Nino, vulnerable and with his heart open 100% to that person who already had someone waiting for him at home. Someone he shared his life, his secrets, his bed, his food with... It was obvious to me there wasn’t a place for Nino in Ohno’s life, but I knew Nino wouldn’t give up even when Ohno decided to go back with Sakurai.

Because I knew for sure he was going to go back with him.

A big storm was coming.


	19. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I slowly opened my eyes and saw that arm resting on my waist.

It was smaller than Sho’s, as it was the hand and those small fingers, but I recognized them right away: they belonged to Ninomiya, who was resting peacefully by my side in his futon.

I perfectly recalled the night before, the curry, the Nutella and how Nino and I had ended up devouring each other on the tatami. And it hadn’t been just once. He was insatiable and wanted to repeat twice more, without asking, without stopping to see my reaction. His desire was uncontrollable at that time, and it’s not like I did anything to try to stop him.

I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t understand it, but something in Nino made me weak and unable to control my actions or my thoughts whenever he touched me. Even if it was a slight brush against my hand or my cheek... I lost sight of the rest of the world, and all common sense disappeared.

I moved slowly over the futon because I was afraid of waking him up and I looked at him sleeping. Again, I felt envious. He looked so relaxed, so carefree, so happy.

But my ringtone interrupted that moment of peace and silence.

"Shit...", I whispered.

My eyes scanned the room for my pants; I located them in a corner crumpled in a ball, stood up and stealthily rushed to take my cellphone out of the pocket.

The screen was blinking with a single kanji: Sho.

I took a deep breath.

"Moshi moshi~", I answered.

"Ohayouuuu~~~"

He sounded especially happy and energetic that morning, which made me remember the e-mail full of smileys and hearts the day before.

I rolled my eyes.

"Ohayou..."

I was still half asleep, I didn’t feel as energetic as him.

"Thank you for the omuraisu, it was very good", he said.

"Ah, yeah... you’re welcome..."

"How are you?"

"Fine...", I replied turning around towards Nino, who moved on his futon and looked at me sleepily.

"How was Saturday?"

"Well... It was nothing special..."

Nino raised an eyebrow and laughed silently. I cleared my throat.

"I went for a walk through Korakuen after going home to get some clothes, and then had a delicious bowl of ramen at Tokyo Dome City"

"Oh! At that place right in front of the Dome, where there’s only one kind of ramen?"

"Yes, there"

"I love that place. They make one of the best ramen in Tokyo"

"And they’re generous with the portions"

I heard him laugh on the other end of the line.

"That’s essential for you to consider it a good restaurant"

"I don’t like going to places where I’m left hungry"

"I know, Satoshi... but you eat for three... or four...", he laughed again.

_Satoshi..._

It seemed like I hadn’t heard him say my name in years and, somehow, it made me feel good.

There were a few seconds of silence before I spoke again.

"What about you?"

"I went to the company in the morning because I needed something to occupy my thoughts. Then I went with Aiba-chan to Asakusa, to that delicious and cheap tempura place, and after that, we ended up in Odaiba. We went to the Oedo Onsen"

"Ah~ How was it? I’ve never been there"

"It’s the perfect place to relax and have a good time. I’ll take you there when you’re back, I promise"

"Thank you..."

There was another moment of silence, longer this time, and he was the one to break it.

"I miss you..."

_Me too_

That’s what my heart said.  
"... Our bed... is too empty at night..."

I felt heat beneath my eyes.

That stinging sensation that lets you know when you’re about to cry.

"Sho... I have to hang up..."

"OK... but... before you go, I want to say again... that I’m sorry... and that I wish I could take all of my feelings right now and put them inside your heart... so you’d feel for yourself just how much I miss you... and how much I want to hold you..."

I had to go back with him.

The sound of his voice reminded me that I missed him so much, it hurt.

"See you soon, Sho..."

I could almost see him nodding on the other end of the line, and that made me smile.

"I love you, Satoshi", he finished. "And I’m waiting for you"

"I... love you too... very much..."

I hung up before the tears started flowing down my cheeks.

I didn’t want to cry, I didn’t want to cry again, not in front of Nino, who I had slept with the night before. Not at his place again. No, no, no, no. I bit my lower lip so hard that I nearly drew blood.

"You regret it, right?"

Nino’s voice, accompanied by a sigh, interrupted my thoughts and made me look up.

"Huh?"

"What happened last night..."

It took me a while, but I shook my head.

The truth was I didn’t regret it at all. I hated having done that to Sho, it was betrayal in every sense of the word, but I didn’t regret it. Nino was someone who attracted me like no other person had, and I knew that we both had been wanting that night in silence for the past two months. It would be hypocritical if I complained now, saying I wished it had never happened.

"If I could go back in time... I would try not to let it happen... but I don’t regret it..."

"I don’t understand you. Yesterday you said that you loved him a lot, and today you told him directly on the phone"

"And I love him, more than anything in this world. But I’m only human..."

"I guess everyone is, including me"

I nodded as I tried to organize all my thoughts to convey them to Nino in a way that wouldn’t have him thinking that I didn’t bat an eyelid or that I was a hypocrite.

"Sho is trying to fix things his own way. He called and didn’t ask too many questions, he gave me space to tell him what I wanted, and he didn’t insist. I appreciate it a lot and value it... because that means at the very least he’s aware of his mistake. But the facts are still there... He stood me up on a weekend he knew was very important to me, and not because we were going to the lake where I always fish, that’s the least of my concerns. What mattered to me was that I was going there with him, after months of seeing him for only a few hours a day, we were going to have a weekend for us. Two whole days, each with their 24 hours... and that made me incredibly happy... but he never came..."

I paused to breathe and think clearly.

"He says he fell asleep and his secretary caused trouble between us, and I believe him, I know Sho wouldn’t lie about something like this... but I don’t care about the reasons. All I know is that he never showed up, his cellphone was turned off and I felt desperate. And in the midst of all that desperation... I thought of you... of that special smile you gave me in the supermarket and it was like a breath of fresh air in a moment when I was about to hit rock-bottom... and I called you. It was my decision and no one else’s. And I spent these two nights here, in your place, with you, because I wanted to, no one forced me to, so it would be stupid of me to say that what happened last night wasn’t my intention, that it was a mistake, etc., etc... I’m not like that. I assume the consequences of my actions... and I don’t regret something that I’ve been wanting for months..."

"You’ve wanted it for months?"

I nodded.

"As much as you. If I hadn’t had a partner... I would have given you the green light much earlier..."

Nino silently listened to me, lying face down on the futon, with his arms crossed over the pillow and his chin resting on them. He looked pensive now, as if he was processing all that information in his mind to be able to give me an answer.

Finally, he looked at me.

"Truth is you’re good hiding your feelings, because I would never have imagined you’d wanted this since we first met. In the beginning, you even hid from me in the supermarket"

"I wanted to avoid temptation. I didn’t want to hurt Sho"

"I understand that. But why didn’t you just go home yesterday, then?"

"I wasn’t ready to face Sho. Besides, you worried about me, took care of me, made that soup for me and I noticed you were trying to do and say things that would cheer me up. You made me feel loved, which is something Sho hadn’t made me feel for months now... but... above all, you cured me of my loneliness", I looked at him. "With you, I never feel alone..."

"I see..."

"Thanks to you, I have the strength to go home"

"Yeah, I figured you’d go back today"

"I miss Sho, I’m not going to lie to you. He’s a disaster and I know when he’s down he forgets to eat and sleep properly. I’m worried about him..."

"What a schlemiel", he interrupted me.

I couldn’t help letting out a chuckle.

Nino and his bitter comments.

"I can go home because you healed my soul, Nino. You set me free from my loneliness"

"Geez, if I had known, I wouldn’t have moved a finger"

He chuckled, but I knew a part of him was speaking seriously.

"I... am very grateful to you for these two days... including last night..."

"Ma~ ma~"

"I’m serious. You’ve become someone very special in my life, and... Well, it’ll be great to be able to continue seeing you in the supermarket and talking to you..."

"If Sakurai returns to his old ways, give me a call and I’ll send over couple of thugs, OK?"

I laughed.

Nino was a very special person indeed.

"No, really, call me if you need me, OK? If you feel alone again and need to talk or let off some steam... I will be more than happy to pick you up and listen to you..."

I watched his cheeks turning a light shade of pink as he cleared his throat.

He was trying to look tough, but I knew he was speaking from his heart.

"I hope Sho changes and I don’t have to call you... but thank you. It means a lot to me..."

"Come on, put your clothes on", he said. "I’ll take you home"

"You don’t have to, I can take the train or the metro"

"Don’t start that again. Take a quick shower and get dressed, I’ll take you to Sakurai"

I smiled for umpteenth time that morning and hurried into the bathroom.

After showering, I dried off and got dressed, I grabbed the very few things I had brought to Nino’s place and looked around the room. I had the feeling I was going to miss it, despite having spent only two nights there.

"Are you ready?", asked Nino.

He had taken a shower after me and came out of the bathroom, finishing buttoning his shirt.

"Yes, I’m ready. I think I have all my things with me"

"If I find anything, I’ll bring it to the supermarket for you, don’t worry"

"Thank you~ I don’t think I’m forgetting anything else, though. Let me see...", I slipped a finger under the waistband of my pants and pretended to check if I had my underwear on. "Yes, everything’s here"

Nino cracked up.

"You never cease to amaze me... Come on, let’s go Mr. I-don’t-know-if-I-have-my-underwear-on-today"

We left Nino’s place still laughing and joking around, and it was like that all the way back to my building.

When we got there, we said our goodbyes and I hopped out of the car, unaware of the strange feeling that was going to overtake my heart when I started walking.

How could this be?

He had just left... and I already missed him...


	20. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I sighed as I hung up the phone.

I had woken up early that morning, despite having gone to bed late; I hadn’t been able to sleep in that huge bed, empty without him. I missed him so much that the mere sight of his clock on the nightstand or his cologne in the bathroom hurt like teeth tearing into my soul.

I had followed Aiba-chan’s advice and tried not to pressure Satoshi. I had asked how he was and what he had been doing, but I left him some space, even though I found it difficult to deal with. In truth, I wanted to ask him to come back, tell him I couldn’t bear another single day without him, but I knew that would only make things worse.

I had not even dared to ask him about the e-mail I sent.

I should have, but I didn’t have it in me. I was afraid of Aiba-chan being right and Satoshi being even more annoyed by those hearts and smiley faces, so I preferred not to bring it up and avoid having to face a situation I feared more than anything in this world: breaking up with Satoshi.

Just thinking about it made me feel bad.

I needed to keep my mind occupied or I would end up going crazy.

I opened up my laptop and sat by the coffee table in the living room. Replying to e-mails and immersing myself in figures and bills would help keep me distracted, one way or another. Nothing could be worse than sitting still at home, doing nothing, waiting for Satoshi.

He told me he would be back the next day, but I couldn’t help wanting to have him back already, at that very moment. Being able to hug him, kiss him, tell him how sorry I was, convey to him I truly regretted my mistake and that seeing him suffer was the last thing I wanted in this world, especially because of something I had done. Satoshi was the most important thing to me. I didn’t know how to live without him anymore, and now I felt as if he were slipping away from my life, little by little.

I closed my laptop, unable to concentrate on anything and glanced at the clock on the wall. It was past noon, I should eat something, but I didn’t feel like it. I hadn’t eaten anything during the whole weekend, aside from the tempura with Aiba-chan and Satoshi’s omuraisu, but I still wasn’t hungry. Or sleepy. Even though I was exhausted. I only wanted to see Satoshi. I wanted to leave the apartment and go looking for him.

But where to? If I knew, I wouldn’t be at home then, that’s for sure.

I crossed my arms on the coffee table and rested my forehead on them.

I was exhausted, depressed, frustrated, desperate. I couldn’t take it any longer.

"Tadaima~"

A _click_ told me the front door had just closed.

I immediately raised my head and listened carefully. I heard steps slowly approaching the living room and, when I looked up at the doorway, Satoshi’s figure timidly popped into view, as if checking to see if I was there.

When he saw me, he looked down at the floor.

"Tadaima...", he repeated.

"Satoshi!"

I jumped up and rushed to hug him tightly.

"Okaeri", I said tightening my hold on him so much he couldn’t move. "I’m sorry... I’m so sorry..."

He let the bag he was carrying fall from his hand and, somehow, managed to raise his arms a little and place them around me.

"I’m home...", he said almost in a whisper.

"I missed you so much... I still can’t believe you’re really here. I have you in my arms, but you don’t seem real... God, Satoshi, I nearly went crazy. Don’t ever leave again, please... ever... I can’t live without you..."

"I... missed you too... This morning, when I heard your voice on the phone, all my doubts disappeared. You called me 'Satoshi' and I realized my place is here with you... It’s always been here, Sho..."

I moved away just enough to look at him.

Holding back my tears was difficult.

"I’ve been ready to call every hotel in Tokyo, one by one, to find you and bring you home. You don’t know how horrible it’s been sleeping in our bed without you and eating your cooking without you by my side"

He gently placed a hand on my right cheek.

"You look awful..."

"I know. I haven’t shaved... or taken a shower yet..."

"Have you had breakfast, at least?"

I shook my head. He sighed.

"You’re a disaster, Sho..."

"I know"

"I’ll go prepare lunch and we’ll eat. The two of us, do you hear me? I won’t accept an 'I’m not hungry' or 'You don’t have to' as an answer"

"Yes, sir"

He chuckled.

At least, the atmosphere wasn’t tense.

I knew that Satoshi and I had to have a serious talk, what happened that weekend hadn’t been a isolated incident, it was the result of who knows how many days or weeks of Satoshi holding back what he really felt and me acting as if nothing was happening out of fear of the situation exploding. I knew that it was time to talk about everything, but I wasn’t able to do it. It terrified me. I preferred to believe that we would leave it in the past and simply start over, without the need to speak of it.

After all, Satoshi and I understood each other without the need for words most of the time.

"Let me take this to the bedroom", I said, picking his bag up off the floor.

Somewhere in my heart, I was afraid of Satoshi taking that bag and leaving again.

"No, you’re going to take a shower", he said taking it from me. "I’ll leave the bag in the bedroom and make lunch while you wash up and get rid of that five o’clock shadow, because you look horrid"

I blinked and burst out laughing.

My Satoshi was... perfect...

Just perfect.

I took his face in my hands and kissed his forehead, then slowly kissed his lips, as if he were going to break, and smiled like the first time I fell in love when I was just a kid in high school. He looked at me amused, but his eyes sparkled, and I knew when those dark eyes shone in that way it was because he was happy.

And if he was happy, I was happy.

I obeyed and went into the bathroom to wash up. I came back showered, shaved, with my teeth brushed and smelling of cologne. It was as if I had been rejuvenated inside and outside. Seeing Satoshi, touching him, feeling him and kissing him had recharged my batteries 100% and I felt as if I could take on the world.

Though, eating whatever it was that smelled so good was a better idea.

I walked to the kitchen, where he was taking something out of the oven, and my face lit up instantly.

"Is that pizza?", I asked.

He nodded as he carefully placed the hot tray on a trivet.

"Yeah, it’s pizza. One big enough for you to eat properly, because I noticed you’ve lost weight and I’ve only been away for a day and a half"

"Oh, God! Have I ever told you that you’re perfect?", I said approaching him from behind and wrapping my arms around his waist. "You’re the best boyfriend in the world"

"You’ve got a lot of nerve", he laughed. "You’re just flattering me because I made you a pizza"

"OK, yeah, I know I’m easy to please and that you can easily buy me with a pizza. But I mean it... you’re wonderful, Satoshi... I love you madly..."

He stood still for a moment, remaining silent.

"Sho..."

"Hm?"

"Why can’t we always be like this?", he turned around in my arms and wrapped his around me, resting his head on my chest. "I’m so happy right now... Why can’t it always be like this?"

I knew exactly what he meant. I also felt something was not right between us, despite being happy when we were together.

"I don’t know..."

He sighed.

"On Friday I felt really bad", he said. "I wanted to break everything around me and, for a moment, I hated you. I thought you had stood me up again and it was more than I could stand, you don’t know how much it hurt me, Sho..."

"I don’t know, but I can imagine it. I cursed myself when I woke up and saw I was still in the office. I knew I had hurt you... and that’s something I will never be able to forgive myself for..."

"Yeah, you really hurt me. I had a terrible night, and this day and a half away I thought about you, I remembered you very often, and it hurt me so much that I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get over it. For a time, I thought everything was over, Sho... but then you called me... and said my name... and that you loved me... and that you were waiting for me... and I wanted to cry... but out of happiness..."

"Satoshi..."

"You’re... the greatest thing I have... and I realized this is my home... here is where I belong... with you..."

I didn’t know the exact meaning behind those words, but I understood that at some point he had wanted to end our relationship and leave home for good.

I thanked heaven for having called him in time.

"No matter what happens, Satoshi. You can always come back here. This is your home... and I’ll always wait for you... always... with open arms..."

He looked up at me.

"I don’t know how you do it, but when I see you... I stop feeling bad..."

"You say that as if it were a bad thing"

He shook his head.

"Not at all. Though it’s true sometimes I would like not to be so weak when it comes to you... and to have the courage to express my feelings..."

"You know you can tell me anything you need to say"

He remained silent, once more.

It was obvious he didn’t want to bring up the subject either, and I wasn’t going to be one encouraging him to do it when I myself was trembling over what might happen when his true feelings came out.

I kissed his forehead again and smiled.

"Shall we eat the pizza? I’m starving"

"Ah, yeah, the pizza. I had almost forgotten about it"

"I hadn’t. That delicious smell is making my mouth water"

"Let’s eat then", he laughed.

We took the pizza and a couple cans of beer to the dining room, where we sat at the table.

I was so happy that I couldn’t stop talking while Satoshi listened attentively and made a comment every now and then. There were some glances exchanged and the occasional knowing smiles. The environment was perfect and I wanted that Sunday afternoon to last forever.

Satoshi, pizza and beer. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Well, yes, it was even better when we finished eating and snuggled together on the couch. We turned on the TV and I covered us both with a blanket while we watched a movie we found on some random channel.

Satoshi ended up falling asleep and I observed him in silence. He looked so peaceful that it seemed the last day and a half had never existed.

I knew the situation we were living wasn’t real. We were happy next to each other, and I think we were both glad he was home, but we knew there were issues that needed to be discussed. Issues that prevented our happiness from being truly fulfilled.

Why couldn’t we be honest with one another? Maybe we both knew that there was no solution and the moment we sat down to talk, everything would end.

That weekend in Kasumigaura would be nothing more than a memory of the past.

I held Satoshi tight in my arms as he slept beside me and I began to cry. Quietly, but relentlessly. I didn’t want to lose him, but I didn’t know how to hold onto him. I loved him so much the thought of not having him with me hurt like a thousand daggers piercing through my body.

I closed my eyes and decided to rest as well.

I was exhausted, I couldn’t even think straight. The only thing that haunted my mind were those terrible thoughts and I wanted to make them disappear.

I knew that my relationship with Satoshi had hit a low point, but now that he was back by my side, at least I could rest. Even if it was only for a couple of hours, I needed to sleep.

And fly away, to a place that only Satoshi and I knew.

Where no one could find us.


	21. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It took me almost two weeks to see my Spicy Curry again.

He was in my mind for every minute and every second of the day, especially when I was at home and saw the living room tatami floor. I’d had him there naked, felt his skin against mine and then we took out only my futon and slept together, with my arms around his waist to have him as close to me as possible.

I loved to feel his breath against my neck while he slept.

That night, I rested like I hadn’t in a long time and I knew I didn’t want my encounters with my Spicy Curry to end there. I wanted him in my life, even when I knew it was a crazy thought.

I knew he loved Sakurai, I knew he had gone back to their apartment, to him, and I knew they would likely have made up that same Sunday afternoon, while my house still smelled of him. While I could still remember his touch so clearly. But I needed to see him.

But he didn’t come to the supermarket all week.

I figured he would be busy trying to resume his life with Sakurai the Idiot, but I couldn’t help feeling frustrated and wishing he’d come into the store any moment, even if it was only to quickly buy something and leave.

After that week, I had the afternoon shift.

I tried everything to persuade Maeda to switch shifts with me, but I couldn’t convince him even after offering to work all of his shifts for the entire month. I wouldn’t have minded working twice as many hours for the same salary if it meant I could see my Spicy Curry.

As the days went by, my frustration and my desire to see him grew. I was cranky day and night, I didn’t feel like playing videogames, I didn’t speak to my coworkers at the supermarket and I didn’t pick up the phone when Jun called me. I could only think about my Spicy Curry, about talking to him, about hearing his voice, about seeing his smile, about observing his hands moving over the products at the supermarket...

The wait was unbearable, so I decided to act.

It was Friday 8PM when I grabbed all the ingredients to make curry and walked to his house. I was sure Sakurai wouldn’t be back yet because it was obvious he wasn’t going to change his attitude, as much as my Spicy Curry asked him to or even left home for several days, so I was going to take the chance to take care of him for a couple of hours. I would make curry for him, we could even eat it together, we would talk, and maybe I’d be able to kiss him again. If he’d let me.

When I reached his building main door, my heart was beating so fast that breathing became difficult. If everything went smoothly, I would tell him how I felt that very night and I’d try to take him home with me, but this time he’d stay and never leave. Maybe it sounded a bit sudden, but what he made me feel those two days we’d spent together had been so intense I was now sure he was the one I wanted in my life, and not some nearly flawless guy who’d try to change all my habits to make me worthy of him.

Besides, patience had never been one of my virtues.

I took a deep breath and reached out to ring his doorbell when I saw the elevator open, out of the corner of my eye. I instinctively turned around to see who it was, even when I knew no one in that building, and my heart jumped inside my chest. Sakurai, the biggest idiot to ever have been born in Tokyo, had his arm around Ohno’s shoulders and was saying something I couldn’t hear, but it made his boyfriend laugh.

My Spicy Curry.

I felt anger growing in my stomach and spreading throughout my veins to every cell in my body as I saw their lovey-dovey attitude. I was furious. That guy had no shame whatsoever. I had seen my Spicy Curry cry, desperate, hurt, shattered because of him, and that idiot acted as if nothing had happened. For some reason I couldn’t understand, my Spicy Curry was madly in love with him and he had the nerve to play with his feelings in such a brazen way, standing him up whenever he felt like it and buttering him up when he wanted to screw.

It made me sick.

I wanted to wait out there and smash his pretty face as he walked out of the building, I didn’t care who saw me. If it wasn’t because I knew my Spicy Curry would hate me forever, I would have done it. I swear I would have. At that moment, I was so blind by anger and jealousy that I wouldn’t have been able to control myself.

In one swift but discreet motion, I moved away from the main door before they could see me and waited in hiding behind a corner of the building. I didn’t want to explain why I was there, even less to Sakurai. Besides, I wasn’t even sure I would be able to speak coherently at that moment, and there was a chance not even my Spicy Curry would be able to stop my surge of anger ifs I were face to face with the idiot.

I saw them walking down the street, laughing and exchanging sweet looks.

I waited a few minutes until they were far enough, then I went back to the building and caught the attention of the doorman, who seemed to recognize me.

"Good night", I said when he opened the door. "Can you give this to Ohno-san?"

I handed the bag with the curry ingredients to him. I didn’t want it anymore.

The man told me that Ohno had just left and I replied that I didn’t care, he could give it to him when he returned. After all, Ohno and Sakurai had probably gone out for dinner, so I doubted they would use the ingredients that night.

I knew the doorman remembered me, but I asked him not to tell them it was me who had left the bag.

When I got home, I put on my pajamas and took out my futon straight away, without even having dinner or watching TV or playing any video games. And for the first time in a long time, I felt so restless that it took me several hours to finally fall asleep.

I hated Sakurai more than ever.

On Monday around noon, when I was just about to finish my shift and had already lost all hope of seeing my Spicy Curry, Yoshitaka ordered me to restock the fridges. I had only fifteen minutes of work left and the last thing I felt like doing was restocking the largest section of the supermarket, but I had no choice and the sooner I started, the sooner I would finish.

I entered the warehouse grumbling to myself, loaded my machine with five pallets full of bottles of tea and other soft drinks, and walked through the corridors of the supermarket frowning. I was tired because of the lack of sleep, in a bad mood because my Spicy Curry seemed to be avoiding me, and on top of it all, I had to work extra hours when no one was paying me for it.

I unloaded the first pallet and reluctantly tore into the plastic to grab a couple of coffee bottles and place them inside the fridges, when I noticed a familiar smell.

I turned around and there he was, barely two meters away from me.

My Spicy Curry.

"Hello", he said with a smile. "You’re still here?"

I stared at him from head to toe, and went back to my work.

"Yes", I replied as if I hadn’t been dying to see him for two long weeks, as if I didn’t care that he was there right now. "I have to restock the fridges before I leave"

"Ah... I see..."

There was a long and uncomfortable silence. I think neither of us knew what to say because we were both waiting for the other to react in some way, but I wasn’t willing to show how much I had missed him and I guess he didn’t want to tell me about his wonderful time back home.

"Nino..."

"Hm?"

"On Friday... you were at my building... right?"

Another long silence.

I turned around and noticed he was waiting for my reaction or my reply.

"What makes you think that?"

"You were the one who brought us the curry ingredients. I know it because you bought that expensive sauce, the one you know I like and the only one you use"

"Yes, it was me", I admitted, staring at him. "I can’t forget you, even when you disappear for two weeks"

I noticed his cheeks turning pink.

"It wasn’t my intention to disappear", he said. "When I went back home, Sho took a week off and we went to Kasumigaura. My boss wasn’t very happy, but after explaining I was going through a personal crisis and that I needed the time off, he accepted. I guess I’ll have to return the favor by doing a double shift one day or working overtime without extra pay"

"I see"

My tone showed the indifference I felt about the topic, I would even say it hinted at how I didn’t want to hear about his vacation week with Sakurai.

"I came a few times last week... but you weren’t here...", he continued.

My heart jumped. Damn Maeda.

At that moment, I hated him even more than Sakurai.

"I had the afternoon shift"

"I guessed so, that’s why I came today"

"Wouldn’t it have been easier to call me?"

"Maybe you’re right"

I stopped placing bottles inside the fridge, sighed and turned to face him. I wasn’t able to know exactly what was on his mind at that particular moment, but I could see a small hint of sadness on his face.

Had he missed me?

"I was waiting for your call", I said. "When you left two weekends ago, you said it would be great to keep talking and meeting, but we haven’t known anything from each other for two weeks, as if we have never met. After what happened, and you told me I was someone special to you, I was expecting a phone call at least"

He looked down and stared at his shoes for several minutes.

"Don’t you consider me special anymore, Ohno?"

He kept staring at his shoes, as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. I sighed again, frustrated and angry with myself. That situation was happening because I’d been a fool and had opened my heart to someone who was in love with a guy like Sakurai. It was obvious Mr. Moneybags and I had nothing in common, so I don’t know why I had hoped that maybe my Spicy Curry could fall in love with me. It was clear that I wasn’t what he was looking for.

I had only been a substitute when Sakurai had abandoned him.

"When do you have some free time?", his voice interrupted my thoughts.

I looked at him, a little disconcerted at first, but I reacted quickly and a smirk formed on my lips. Perhaps his relationship with the idiot was not as good as it seemed.

"If it’s for you, you know I always have time", I replied.

He finally looked up and examined my face with interest. Then he nodded.

"I’ll call you this week then"

"That’s fine for me", I smiled.

He smiled back and said goodbye, thanking me for the curry.

For the first time in those two weeks, I felt full of energy and eager to do a lot of things, even restocking the rest of the soft drinks.

My Spicy Curry was going to call me.

Finally.


	22. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I was trying to return to some form of normalcy with Sho, but there was something that attracted me towards Nino.

When I came back from spending those two days at Nino’s, Sho was radiant with happiness. He talked non-stop, his eyes sparkled more than ever and he covered me with kisses and hugs all the time; it was as if he never had enough. Of course, I was delighted and let myself be loved, but in the back of my mind there was a little voice that kept reminding me I had betrayed him and that made me feel guilty.

It was true I didn’t regret what I’d done, nor had I thought it had been a mistake. I liked Nino and I was so attracted to him that it was beyond my control, so I wasn’t going to try and convince myself that I hadn’t wanted it, but Sho was too important to me and I knew the tremendous pain it would cause when I told him about everything. Because I had to tell him. I had to muster up the courage and face the consequences of my own actions.

On Sunday night, after having lunch and taking a nap on the couch together, Sho was in the bedroom talking on the phone with someone from his company, and I decided it was the right time. The sooner I told him, the sooner I would be able to explain everything to him and try to fix the situation because, in spite of it all, I didn’t want to be apart from Sho.

I didn’t want to lose him. I didn’t want to live without him.

I walked towards the bedroom, slowly, trying not to make too much noise as not to bother him, and then took a deep breath before taking a peek inside. He saw me and smiled as he went on talking. I smiled back, even though my whole body was trembling, and waited for him to finish.

When he hung up, I took a step forward.

"Sho..."

"I’ve just spoken with one of my managers", he said getting close to me. It seemed he hadn’t even heard me. "I have the whole week free for you. Just for you". He placed a hand on my waist and caressed my cheek with the other. "Do you want to go somewhere, far away from here?"

"Eh?", I wanted to protest and ask him to listen to me, but he had taken me completely by surprise. "G-Go somewhere? For the whole week?"

I blinked as he nodded.

"Just the two of us", he said.

"But... I have to work... my boss won’t agree to it... I..."

I wanted to tell him the million reasons that were crossing my mind for me not go, despite my dying to be alone with him, but the sparkle of anticipation in his eyes left my mind completely blank.

"I’ll call him right away...", I sighed.

I will never forget Sho’s smile right then. It was full of excitement and it lit up his face in a way that made my heart start to beat fast inside my chest.

Sho. My Sho.

My life.

We ended up spending a dream week in Kasumigaura. We went fishing together, had lunch, had dinner, took walks, went up to the mountains and made love so many times I lost track of time on more than one occasion. Being alone between those four walls with Sho was the most fascinating time of my life.

However, when we returned to Tokyo, he returned to his routine of working day and night.

I wasn’t happy at all to go back to the starting point, but at least he stopped working on the weekends, and Friday became our special day together. He started coming home earlier from work on Fridays and we decided to celebrate it by going out for dinner. Every Friday. Each and every one of every month.

And it was also a Friday when I went back to reality.

When Sho and I came back home after dinner, the doorman gave us a grocery bag with ingredients to make curry. He said he didn’t know the person who had left it there, but I knew perfectly well who it had been, even before seeing that special, expensive sauce.

Nino.

It was his way of catching my attention.

The bag had more items inside, but only the package of curry caught my eye. I checked it carefully, while trying to make sure Sho wouldn’t notice, just in case Nino had left me another note on the back, but I didn’t find anything. And that made me feel strangely disappointed.

Until then, I had been too busy thinking about Sho. I wanted to make up for lost time and at the same time, I felt I needed to devote myself to him more than ever to erase my feeling of guilt. In my mind, there was nothing more besides Sho, and I had come to forget all about Nino.

No, I hadn’t actually forgotten about him at all.

Unconsciously, I had tried to bury those two days with him in the back of my mind, but that wasn’t real. When I saw the grocery bag, I thought of him right away, felt a sharp pain in my chest and something moved inside of me.

I realized I missed him.

It seemed like he missed me too and was saying, in his own way, that he wanted to see me. Though, at the same time, I sensed he was annoyed, probably because I had not gone to the supermarket for over a week now, even though I’d told him I would like to keep seeing and chatting with him there, as usual.

I owed him an apology, or at least an explanation.

I went to the supermarket on Monday afternoon, despite not needing to buy anything. I thought I might not manage to see him because I got distracted doing things at home, but I was lucky his manager ordered him to restock the fridges right before finishing his shift.

As I had sensed, he was annoyed with me, maybe even hurt. He even asked if I didn’t consider him special anymore and that made my heart sink. It wasn’t in my plans to call or meet him again, but I couldn’t bear the look on his face, full of pain and reproach.

I asked him when he had some free time and his reply left me stunned.

"If it’s for you, you know I always have time", he said.

I knew Nino had been devoting time to me when we would meet in the supermarket, but I didn’t think of it as anything special, it was just that he worked there and had to be there until his shift ended. He amused himself by talking to me. Now, months later, analyzing it objectively, I realized he had always been there listening to me and offering words of support, while Sho didn’t seem to realize anything and only worked day and night, as if my feelings didn’t matter.

It was certainly true Sho had begun to change, but it wasn’t enough.

And he didn’t seem to have any intention to continue changing for now.

Nino, in the other hand, showed interest. He wanted to see me and spend time with me to the point where he was hurt because I hadn’t gone to the supermarket in a week. That attitude made me melt and I found myself explaining him what had happened and saying I would call him that week.

Was that a smile I saw on his lips?

My heart started pounding and I felt totally bewildered. This couldn’t be happening. I couldn’t have feelings for Nino.

Of course, those feelings had nothing to do with my feelings for Sho, which were much stronger and more intense, but they were strong enough to make my heart race when I saw him smiling. And I knew that wasn’t right, though I couldn’t help it either. I was attracted to Nino in an incomprehensible way.

I didn’t call him that week, or the next.

I went directly to the supermarket.

"Hello", I said when I found him restocking in one of the aisles. "I know I didn’t call you last week, like I said I would..."

"Looks like it", he replied with indifference.

"But I want to treat you to lunch today..."

"I’ve just started my shift. This week, Maeda has the morning shift"

"Ah, I see. Well, I’ll be back another day then... when you don’t have to work..."

"Wait!", he said diverting his attention from the products he was restocking to glance at his watch. "I have a thirty minute break right now. If you don’t mind having lunch in the break room, there’s a new instant ramen that looks very good"

I looked at him incredulously.

"In the break room you say?"

"Yeah. That’s where we have coffee or a quick snack during shifts". He looked at me and smiled. "Come on, it’s my treat. I feel bad letting you have lunch alone"

I followed him to the break room of the supermarket.

It was slightly bigger than I had imagined. There were an endless number of different products’ boxes stacked up on the shelves and there was a little table with two chairs to one side. That must be where the employees sat to rest, judging by the microwave and the mini fridge next to it.

"It’s not exactly romantic, I know", he laughed.

I looked around and then focused my attention on the table.

"I imagined this place to be much smaller"

"You didn’t think there’d be a table and chairs, right?"

"Exactly"

He laughed again and invited me to sit down in one of the chairs as he prepared our impromptu lunch. I observed him carefully and he not only noticed my attention was completely on him, but also seemed delighted by it.

"There you go", he said handing me one of the cups of instant ramen. "It takes only three minutes to cook, according to the cover"

I nodded as I grabbed my cup and placed my hands around it, feeling the heat that came from it. Nino set his cup aside and occupied his hand with something that seemed to interest him much more than the ramen: my leg.

I looked down and watched how he moved it slowly, gently, in a motion that at first seemed innocent, but I knew Nino and that gesture was anything but innocent.

I looked up at him.

"Does it bother you?", he said, lowering his voice.

I shook my head.

I should have said yes, I should have moved his hand away, but I couldn’t. When I looked into his eyes, that attraction I felt towards him, which was already strong by itself, intensified and a shiver ran down my spine.

Slowly, I moved my hand away from the ramen and placed it over his.

"It’s hot...", he whispered.

I nodded and slowly laced my fingers with his as a smile appeared on my face. A smile that let show how much I wanted him. A smile that betrayed me. A smile he perfectly knew how to interpret and made another smile appear on his face as he gently pulled my hand and left me breathless with a passionate kiss, full of restrained desire.

A moan rose from the depths of my throat right after completely forgetting about the instant ramen, and throwing my arms around his neck, pressing his body against mine, letting him know I was ready for everything he wanted to do.

I felt the triumphant smile on his lips as he reached out for the door and locked it.


	23. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Understanding Ohno was becoming increasingly difficult.

After he came to the supermarket that afternoon, I waited for his call. He said he would call that week and I was dying to see him again.

I checked my cellphone every now and then. At work, when I couldn’t have my phone with me, I was so anxious that hours passed by very slowly between breaks, when I could run to the break room and check if he had called.

I never received a thing.

No e-mail, no missed call notification. Nothing.

I already hated myself enough for letting him monopolize my thoughts, but acting like a silly teenager in love made me so angry that Yoshitaka approached me several times asking if I had a problem with any of my coworkers or if I wasn’t feeling comfortable at work.

I tried to smile, after all my job required interaction with the public, but sometimes I became so frustrated thinking about Ohno, I couldn’t help frowning.

In the end, he never called. He appeared at the supermarket one afternoon, saying he wanted to treat me to lunch.

I was annoyed because he hadn’t shown any signs of being alive for a week, but what really put me in a bad mood was realizing that I couldn’t have lunch with Ohno because of useless Maeda, who was working the morning shift that week. Which meant I had the afternoon shift and couldn’t leave the store.

My reply to Ohno’s invitation was not exactly the most cordial, in fact, he lowered his head and said he would come back to treat me another day. But I knew it wasn’t his fault I felt frustrated, so I stopped him before he had the time to leave, and gave him another option: have a quick ramen in the break room during my half hour break.

It wasn’t exactly the ideal date, but at least I could spend some time with him.

My intention was to talk while we ate, asking him about Sakurai and finding out how things were between them, but having him so close, sitting by my side in such a small space, I became distracted.

Before I realized it, my hand was on his leg, caressing it slowly. He gave a little jump and seemed slightly surprised, but when I asked if it bothered him, he said no and placed his hand on mine.

It was so warm...

I couldn’t help lacing my fingers with his while looking at him, wanting to get closer and kiss those lips that were calling out to me.

It was his smile that gave me the sign I was waiting for with all my might.

I gently pulled his hand and kissed him with all the passion and desire I had been holding back for the past three weeks, though I tried to control the rest of my body so that the situation wouldn’t get out of hand. After all, I was at work. But Ohno let a moan escape from the back of his throat, threw his arms around my neck and pressed his body against mine.

I lost control.

I smiled, still kissing him, searched for the lock of the break room and turned it so no one could enter while unbuttoning Ohno’s shirt with my other hand. I didn’t want to, nor could I wait any longer. I wanted to feel his skin right then and there, at that moment, I didn’t care if there was no bed to lie down.

My hands flew over his clothes as I got rid of them, and his weren’t exactly slow either. Both of us were naked in a matter of seconds, letting our hands travel across every centimeter of skin on each other’s bodies. There were moans, sighs, kisses, caresses, unintelligible words whispered against skin, passion, madness, desperation.

My heart was bursting with so many feelings I couldn’t keep them inside anymore.

"Ohno...", I said when we had caught our breath and were putting our clothes back on.

"Hm?"

He didn’t look up as he buttoned his shirt.

"I... well... I don’t want you to think that this was planned... I only wanted to spend some time with you, eating ramen... talking and... well, that’s it..."

He only nodded, without saying a word. I sighed.

"What are we?", I asked him.

"Eh?", he finally looked up at me. "You and me?"

I was the one nodding this time.

"Yes... you and me...", I swallowed hard and slowly approached him. "This is the second time we’ve... well, you know... and things with Sakurai don’t seem to be improving, right?"

I searched for an answer in his eyes, since his lips weren’t giving any, but I found only surprise and confusion. Maybe my feelings were not as obvious as I had thought, and I needed to express them out loud in the end.

"A single room in Sakurai’s apartment is bigger than my entire place", I said, taking his hand in mine and looking into his eyes. "But... if you want... there... there’s enough room for the two of us"

His eyes widened and I noticed how his body started to tremble. He tried to speak, but only incomprehensible syllables left his mouth as he moved his hand away from mine and looked around for something. The door. He clumsily walked towards it with rushed steps while I watched in amazement.

Was he going to leave without saying a word?

"Ne, Ohno... aren’t you going to say a thing?"

"I-I have to get ready for work... or I’ll be late...", he stammered.

I frowned and placed my hand over the lock so he couldn’t open it.

"Aren’t you going to give me an answer before you leave?"

He didn’t look up from the lock, despite my hand being over it.

"I... am with Sho..."

"I know, but you’re not happy. And I know you feel something for me, if it wasn’t like that you wouldn’t have let this happen"

"I want to be with Sho...", he looked up at me. "Let me go... please..."

He begged me with his eyes, and that made me feel miserable. Did he really think I was going to keep him there or that I would do something to him against his will? I felt a sharp pain in my heart as I moved my hand away from the lock. He didn’t hesitate a second, opened the door and left like a bat out of hell.

What had I done wrong?

I sat down in one of the chairs, without being completely conscious of my movements, and stayed there for several minutes, thinking nothing. The torrent of feelings and emotions was so immense that I was blocked, my mind was completely blank, unable to react. It was obvious that confessing had not been a good idea.

Ohno stopped coming to the supermarket in the morning.

I tried calling him a few times, but his cellphone was always off. In the beginning, I thought it was just a coincidence, but after a couple of weeks, I realized he had blocked my number. I tried sending him e-mails, but he never replied, despite asking him repeatedly to do so, if only to let me know he didn’t want to see me again.

Four weeks later, while I was working the afternoon shift, I saw him coming into the supermarket. But he didn’t come alone. Sakurai was with him. Now he needed an escort to come to the supermarket? I frowned and went back to my work, as if Ohno wasn’t even there. If he had the nerve to ignore me for a month and then come to the supermarket with that idiot, I wasn’t going to throw away my pride and approach him. As much as I was dying to talk to him, I had my limits, and I wasn’t willing to drag myself down, not for him or anyone else.

Besides, it was clear he had decided to get rid of me.

At first I was so angry with myself and the world I couldn’t even react. I simply saw Ohno doing the shopping with his boyfriend Mr. Moneybags, feeling powerless, frustrated and hurt, as a strange feeling of guilt came over me. But, as time passed, I began to realize that I had done nothing to deserve being treated in such a way. I was single, I didn’t have to compromise with anyone except myself.

The one who should feel guilty and frustrated was Ohno, not me.

If he had spoken to me, I might have been able to face my feelings and get over them. But, instead, he had decided to avoid me right after I’d opened my heart to him, without giving any kind of explanation, and that hurt so badly I couldn’t stand it. I had treated him the best I knew how, I had comforted him, taken care of him, offered him everything I possibly could, and in return, he had decided to act as though I didn’t exist.

What’s more, had he forgotten about all the suffering Sakurai had caused him? Had he been able to so easily erase the pain that had driven him to me? As far as I knew, Mr. Moneybags hadn’t changed at all. Was Ohno willing to continue with that life? Did he not care about having to sacrifice and suffer in silence while Sakurai did whatever he wanted, regardless of his feelings?

The more I thought about it, the less I understood it.

Doubt, frustration, anger, pain. Feelings were crowding into my heart and wouldn’t let me give up on him. I couldn’t keep looking away, as if we had never met, as if he had never been to my place, as if nothing ever happened between us. I had to burn until the bitter end or I knew I would regret it.

Ohno had built a wall between us and I didn’t have the chance to approach him anymore without Sakurai finding out everything. It’s not that I cared whether the idiot would suffer, but I didn’t like the idea of him finding out that way because I was sure it would win me Ohno’s hatred. I had to be smarter and play better with the few cards I had left.

If Ohno wouldn’t leave Sakurai, Sakurai would be the one leaving Ohno.


	24. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Two times. Two damn times.

It was true I hadn’t tried to avoid it and the second time, in fact, I may have provoked him myself in some way or another, but I had to put an end to it. If I kept one seeing Nino, there would be further consequences and things would get even more out of hand.

I’d tried to have a normal relationship with him, a friendship, but he wanted me and I felt that inexplicable attraction towards him that made me lose my mind whenever we were together alone. Plus, besides all this, Nino began to feel something stronger than just sexual attraction. I never would have guessed it. I had no idea until he himself asked me to leave Sho and move in with him.

Things were becoming serious.

I had betrayed Sho, but I still wanted to be with him. I loved him with all my heart and the mere thought of being away from him was painful... Nino treated me well and was devoted to me at all times, I enjoyed spending time with him, but what I felt for Sho was far greater. I had given my heart to him the day we first met in Kasumigaura, and it had always been his, even when my body surrendered to Nino on a few occasions.

I knew I had to speak to both of them, but I didn’t have the strength or the courage to face them.

I had to tell Nino I had no intention of keep seeing him, but I was afraid of being weak and forget about everything when left alone with him again. And I couldn’t allow it. I couldn’t let it happen a third time. I couldn’t and didn’t want to betray Sho yet again.  
I blocked Nino’s phone number and started going to the supermarket with Sho.

At first, Sho was surprised. Until then, I had always gone in the mornings, when he was working, but suddenly, as if overnight, I wanted to go late in the afternoon, when he was back home. I told him I wanted him to come with me so we could choose the food together and he believed me. I guess I was able to sound convincing, since, after all, I wasn’t actually lying.

I was just concealing part of the truth.

I was being a coward, that’s true, and I wasn’t facing the consequences of my own actions, but what could I do? If I had told him I didn’t want to go alone to the supermarket because I felt attracted to some guy who worked there and that, in fact, I had slept with him twice already, Sho would leave me. And I would be miserable and unhappy forever for having kicked him out of my life.

I was winning Nino’s hatred, I could see it in his face when I went to do the shopping at night, and I was destroying myself sleeping in the same bed as Sho, acting as if nothing had ever happened, while he lived deceived, carrying on his normal life with me.  
If I talked to them, I would feel liberated, but I would lose both them because Sho would leave me and, even then, I wouldn’t move in with Nino because I wasn’t in love with him.

If I remained silent, Nino would hate me and wouldn’t want to know anything about me, which was best for him, and Sho would forever live without knowing that I had betrayed him.

It wasn’t fair, but it was the best for the three of us.

One night, while Sho and I were in the living room drinking beer and talking about how our day had been, the phone rang. Sho immediately stood up and said he would get it.

He came back after a few minutes, smiling.

"It was Aiba-chan", he said.

"Ah~ How is he?", I asked.

"He sounds happy", Sho smiled. "He called to ask how things were over here. He’s been worried ever since I called him that weekend you left home"

"Typical Aiba", I laughed.

"Yeah, he’s like that. But I told him things have been fine since you came back. We spent that week in Kasumigaura and I’m trying to work less to spend more time with you"

I nodded.

"You don’t work weekends anymore, and now we have dinner together every day"

"And we do the shopping together, don’t forget about that"

"Yeah", I laughed. "That too"

He sat down next to me and wrapped me in his arms.

"He also said he wants to invite us to a party"

"Eh? A party?"

"Yeah, it looks like his boyfriend, Matsumoto, organized it and wants us to attend"

"His boyfriend wants us to go?"

"And Aiba-chan too. I think they want to do the official introduction", he laughed.

"I don’t like parties very much..."

"I know, that’s why I told him I had to speak with you first"

"But, well, if he wants to introduce us to his boyfriend, I think he’ll be excited if we go"

Sho nodded.

"You know Aiba-chan"

"Yeah, it’d make him sad if we didn’t go, so it’s decided. We’ll go"

"And will you dance with me?"

"Maybe. If you’re a good boy", I laughed.

Sho called Aiba a few minutes later to confirm that we would attend the party. As he told me later, his friend from college was particularly happy because we were finally going to meet his boyfriend.

Aiba is like that. Those he loves are the most important things in his life, so I guess he was excited to have his friends and the person he had decided to share his life with together at last.

That call left us with a pleasant feeling that turned into smiles and glances between us, and soon we moved to the bedroom, where we gave free rein to our feelings.

We hadn’t had sex since the week in Kasumigaura, and maybe that was the missing piece in the puzzle that I needed to move on, without feeling miserable every time Sho touched me or simply looked at me. That night, when he wrapped me in his arms and closed his eyes, I was able to look at him for first time in weeks and not feel like the most despicable being in the entire world. I had betrayed him, that was still there, but I felt we could go on together without my betrayal affecting us as much as I had thought it would.

It would work as long as he didn’t know.

A week later, we were in Sho’s car, dressed up in our best clothes, on our way to Aiba’s place, where they were holding the party his boyfriend had organized.

"What do you think Aiba’s boyfriend will be like?", I asked Sho as he drove.

"I don’t know, but I’m sure he’s a nice person"

"Yeah, I agree, but I meant his looks. I can’t imagine him"

"I haven’t seen him. Aiba-chan says he’s handsome"

"Aiba says you’re handsome"

"Oi! What do you mean by that?", he laughed.

"Nothing. Only that it proves your friend doesn’t have very good taste"

"Hey, you’re my partner, you’re supposed to like me"

"Yeah, but I like who you are on the inside, honey"

"Why only the inside? What is this?", he laughed amused.

"On the outside you’re... uhm... hard to look at"

"Thanks for calling me ugly in such a polite way, my love"

I cracked up.

"You know I’m just joking. You only have to see how people look at you on the street to know you’re not ugly. On the contrary, you’re much too handsome"

"Oh, yeah?"

"Come on, I’m not going to flatter you, as much as you like it"

We laughed together as he parked the car. Then he looked at me, his eyes sparkling, and slowly leaned in to gently kiss my lips. I shivered.

"You know I’m crazy about you, right?", he whispered.

I nodded as I placed my hand on his cheek and caressed it. He kissed me again and smiled in that way that left me breathless.

"Let’s go meet this dandy boyfriend of Aiba", he laughed.

"Don’t worry. You’ll steal all the attention when you walk through the door"

We hopped out of the car and walked to the entrance of Aiba’s building, laughing and joking.

We could be together and be happy.

Definitely.

When Aiba opened the front door, wearing that brilliant smile on his face, and hugging us so enthusiastically, my curiosity began to take over, and it was even stronger than before. His boyfriend had to be someone really special for him to be bursting with happiness like that.

"Follow me", he said, motioning towards his apartment’s living room.

Sho and I looked at each other, smiled, and followed Aiba inside to his living room, where he disappeared for a few seconds and returned with a tall, dark-haired guy. He hadn’t lied when he had told Sho his boyfriend was handsome. That guy caught everyone’s attention with his slender figure and western features.

Features that looked too familiar.

"This is my boyfriend, Matsumoto Jun", Aiba announced with a wide smile.

"Yo~", he greeted.

Matsumoto Jun.

My eyes widened as I realized why his face and name were so familiar: he was Nino’s friend. The same friend who kept me company that afternoon a few months back, while Nino was at work, the same one that Nino had told how we’d kissed in the ramen shop, and the same one who I had spoken with about Sho in that expensive café.

"I am Sakurai Sho", Sho said, shaking his hand, oblivious to what was really happening. "It’s a pleasure"

What my boyfriend couldn’t imagine was that Matsumoto already knew his face and name, including the relationship between us, and something that not even Sho knew of: my betrayal.

"Yes, I know", Matsumoto replied, fixing his dark and intense look on me. "I feel as if we’ve already met"

My heart jumped.

"Oh, really?", Sho asked.

"Yes, Masaki speaks a lot about his friend Sho-chan"

I felt slightly relieved.

"I can’t help it", Aiba said, blushing and giggling. "We’ve been friends for years, and Sho-chan has always been there when I needed him"

"I see", Sho smiled. "I speak about Aiba-chan a lot as well, don’t I?"

He looked at me, waiting for a sign of confirmation. I cleared my throat, trying to get rid of the knot that had formed there.

"Yes... yes... Sho never gets tired of talking about Aiba..."

Matsumoto took a small step forward.

"You must be Ohno Satoshi, right?", he said.

My heart started beating fast again.

"Yes", I shook his hand. "Nice to meet you"

"Masaki speaks about you a lot as well. He’s always saying that Sakurai and you are the perfect couple, how he’s never seen two people who adore each other the way you do"

I blushed and looked down, ashamed.

"Woah", Sho said. "Aiba-chan said all that?"

"I’ve always been envious of you two", Aiba replied. "But now that I have Jun, I hope to steal the title of 'perfect couple' very soon"

Matsumoto kept on piercing through me with the intensity in his eyes, making me feel small and guilty, as Aiba and Sho took charge of the conversation. It seemed he perfectly remembered both who I was and that afternoon.

But to what extent did he know what had happened between Nino and me?

He knew about the kiss in the ramen shop, he told me that himself, but would Nino have told him about the Nutella or what happened in the break room of the supermarket, weeks later?

And if so, did Matsumoto say something to Aiba?

I shuddered and looked at Aiba, trying to find an answer. There were no signs of concern on his face, he looked as cheerful as ever while chitchatting with Sho, making carefree gestures with his hands.

But I was still uneasy.

I felt as though my past would keep on haunting me until the end of my days, in one way or another, as much as I tried to leave it behind and move on.

Nino’s best friend, who knew much more than he should, was my boyfriend’s best friend’s partner. Sooner or later, Aiba would end up knowing everything, and he wasn’t exactly the best person to keep a secret.

Though that wasn’t my only problem.

Matsumoto had organized the party and he probably would have invited Nino too. A Nino who would be hurt because of my behavior throughout the past weeks, and that was not good.  
I looked around.

In the bottom of my heart, I had hoped Matsumoto hadn’t invited him, or that Nino had decided not to come. I knew the chances of not running into him that night were virtually nonexistent, but I didn’t want to lose hope. I wanted to believe that, for once, fate would be on my side.

It wasn’t so.

Leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, holding a glass filled with something that looked like sake, there was Nino staring at me, watching my every move, with a smirk on his lips.  
I squeezed Sho’s hand.

Nino wasn’t going to stand idly by, his defiant look told me so. He wasn’t going to allow me to ignore him so easily.  
I shivered.

It was going to be a long night.


	25. Jun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I should have thought about the consequences beforehand.

I had long considered organizing a party with all my friends to introduce them to Masaki. He was now an important part of my life, and I wanted him to be completely involved in every aspect of it. I wanted him to know my surroundings, my family, my habits... and I thought it’d be a great idea to introduce him to my friends to start things off.

Until I shared it with him.

"That’s a wonderful idea, Jun!", he said with a smile on his lips.

"I’ll start calling my closest friends then. You’ll see, I’m sure you’ll like them, and I just know they’re going to adore you", I replied, smiling back.

Masaki laughed in that way that captivated me and lit up my life. Every time I saw that smile of his I’d forget everything else. Only he existed.

"What if I invite my friends over too?", he said in his usual cheerful tone.

"Eh?"

"Yes, Jun! It’s a great idea! I’ll meet your friends, you’ll meet mine, and they will all meet each other. It’ll be awesome!"

It wasn’t awesome at all.

"Masaki... I don’t know if that’s such a good idea..."

"Why?", his expression changed dramatically, showing sadness and disappointment.

"I don’t know if it’d be good for our friends to mix so soon..."

Truth was, I was thinking about the moment when Nino, Sakurai and Ohno would meet if we actually held this party with all of our friends. It would be a complete disaster.

"But I want you to meet my friends, it’s important to me", he complained.

"It’s important to me as well, Masaki. That’s why I think it best if we meet our respective friends at different times, to do it right and avoid conflicts"

"Conflicts? Why would there be any conflicts?"

"You know, Nino... and Ohno..."

Masaki rolled his eyes.

"That again?"

"I proved to you how Ohno lied to Sakurai, and I saw with my own eyes how Ohno went home with Nino that night, besides that, Nino told me they’d kissed at that ramen restaurant at the Tokyo Dome City and..."

"Enough"

"Masaki... they slept together... Nino told me..."

"That’s enough, Jun!", he exclaimed, covering his ears.

I then took the time to observe his face and realized his eyes were glassy.

"That’s enough...", he whispered taking his hands off his ears. "Please, no more..."

"But... you believed me... last time you believed me... I thought you had been able to accept what was happening between them...I don’t get this... I don’t understand it..."

Masaki shook his head in disapproval.

"I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it’s all one big deception by Nino"

"Again with that?"

"That guy always manages to get away with things, it’s not the first time he’s come between two people just because he wants sex with one of them", he looked at me, fixing his dark eyes on mine. The pain in them was indescribable. "He tried to take you away from me at first..."

"You know it wasn’t like that. Nino and I had casual sex, and I had been without a partner for years. All what happened was Nino thought you and I had the same kind of relationship. When I explained I was serious about you, he stopped looking for me. You know the story, Masaki, so don’t be unfair"

"Unfair? He’s the one trying to destroy the relationship between my two friends, and I’m the one who’s unfair?"

I sighed.

"Listen, I don’t want to argue with you... you are far more important to me than Nino... or whatever is going on between him and Ohno... If you want to have a party with all of our friends, we’ll do so, but just keep in mind that whether it be Nino’s fault or not... the three of them will meet, and they may end up hurting each other"

"Nino would be truly shameless if he tried something at a party where all of us are gathered"

I nodded.

"You’re right, but it seems that Ohno has blocked his phone number and has been ignoring him for the past few weeks. Nino is hurt. He most likely won’t try to get close to Ohno when Sakurai is around, but he won’t stand idly by, you know him"

"What do you mean? What do you think he’ll do?"

"To be honest, I really don’t know. Which is why I don’t think it’s a good idea to hold this party"

Masaki snorted.

"Don’t invite him", he said.

"How could I possibly not invite him? He’s my best friend. Do you know how much that would hurt him?"

"He doesn’t mind hurting others"

"He has fallen in love, Masaki!"

"As if Nino could ever love anyone other than himself"

I sighed again and remained silent for a couple of seconds.

The situation wasn’t going anywhere, and I didn’t want to fight with Masaki.

"OK, fine. It doesn’t make any sense to keep fighting over this. It’s obvious we’re never going to agree on this as we both have very different points of view. We’ll hold the party with all of our friends, including Nino. Just promise me that you’ll help me try to keep him away from Ohno and Sakurai"

He nodded.

"Of course I will. I don’t want them to hurt each other either", he said.

I knew I wasn’t doing the right thing letting this situation go forward, but Masaki wanted to mix his friends with mine, and my insisting it wasn’t a good idea would only lead us to a new argument, perhaps stronger than the one we already had.

And the day of the party arrived.

The first ones to show up were Ishida and Suzuki, my old school buddies, who came with their wives. Ishida’s wife, Yuka, was also four months pregnant. It was a pleasant surprise and a joy that made us start the party in the best possible way.

For a moment, I believed that things would not go as bad as I had originally thought.

But half an hour later, when Masaki came to me all excited saying that Sho-chan and his boyfriend Ohno had arrived, my stomach turned upside down and my heart started racing.

I looked around to see if Nino had already arrived. There was no trace of him, for now, but a strange feeling came over me. I don’t even know how to describe it. It was a mixture of insecurity, uneasiness and at the same time, guilt. Especially when we approached the pair and my boyfriend introduced us.

"This is my boyfriend, Matsumoto Jun", he announced with a wide smile.

"Yo~", I greeted, with another smile.

"I’m Sakurai Sho", said the more handsome and elegant of the two, shaking my hand.

Truth is pictures did not do him justice; the real thing was much better looking.

I found myself staring at Ohno, wondering what was it that Sakurai saw in him, such a plain man, so Japanese, so average, who stood with his eyes to the floor that very moment, looking uncomfortable and ashamed because he knew that I knew of his betrayal.

"Yes, I know", I replied to Sakurai, with my eyes still fixed on Ohno. "I feel as if we’ve already met"

Ohno turned pale. He had probably misinterpreted my words. It was obvious his feelings of guilt were eating him alive.

"Oh, really?", Sakurai asked.

"Yes, Masaki speaks a lot about his friend Sho-chan"

I could see how Ohno breathed, relieved.

There was a part of the conversation where Masaki had mentioned something about how much he spoke about his friend because he had always been there when he had needed him.

I didn’t pay much attention, to be perfectly honest.

I was too busy watching Ohno’s reactions, he was so nervous and restless. I don’t think he was paying any attention to what Masaki and Sakurai were saying either, and he seemed to reply almost automatically when his boyfriend turned to him for confirmation after saying he spoke a lot about his friend Aiba-chan as well.

I couldn’t take it anymore and took a small step forward.

"You must be Ohno Satoshi, right?"

"Yes...", he said, shaking my hand. "Nice to meet you"

For a moment, I wanted to expose everything right there, have Ohno hang his head in shame in front of his boyfriend and make Masaki see that Nino was not the only one at fault there. After all, Nino was single; the one who had a partner and should have been loyal was Ohno.

I bit my tongue because I knew it wasn’t the time or the place.

"Masaki speaks about you a lot as well. He’s always saying how Sakurai and you make the perfect couple, how he’s never seen two people who adore each other more than you do"

At the very least, he had to be aware of what he was doing.

Ohno blushed and lowered his head, clearly ashamed.

Hit and sunk.

"Woah", Sakurai said. "Aiba-chan said all that?"

"I’ve always been envious of you two", Masaki replied. "But now that I have Jun, I hope to steal the title of 'perfect couple' from you very soon."

The two friends took charge of the conversation as I kept staring at Ohno, who seemed to be experiencing a moment of internal panic while he anxiously watched my boyfriend, as if trying to figure out what exactly he knew about the situation with Nino.

Nino...

I had almost forgotten about him.

If I had felt that much anger seeing Ohno and had hardly been able to control myself, I couldn’t imagine the emotions he was going to feel.

Then again, Nino wasn’t like me.

He wouldn’t care about the time or the place, or whether he would destroy the pleasant atmosphere of the party, as long as he achieved his purpose: catching Ohno’s attention.

I glanced around the room, as I had done before speaking with Ohno and Sakurai, to be sure Nino hadn’t arrived yet. I still had time.

I turned to the three men and cleared my throat.

"Would you excuse us for a moment?", I asked with the best of my smiles, gently holding Masaki’s hand. "A childhood friend has just arrived and I want Masaki to meet him"

"Yes, of course", Sakurai said. "Satoshi and I will be here until late, so we’ll have more time to speak later on"

I smiled again, as a sign of my gratitude to Sakurai, and pulled my boyfriend’s hand to gently drag him to a corner of the room, where we could speak with some privacy.

"Weren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?", asked Masaki confused, looking around for the friend who hadn’t arrived.

"Listen, Masaki, remember we have to prevent Nino from getting close to your friend and his boyfriend"

"Eh? Why do you mention that now?", he asked confused.

"Because something I did not expect just happened. I was so furious when I saw Ohno that I wanted to expose him right there, in front of Sakurai", I looked at him with a serious expression. "If that happened to me, I don’t even want to imagine what may happen in Nino’s mind"

"Jun..."

"I know. I know you don’t believe that Ohno might be cheating on your friend and that you think Nino is the one looking for him, but..."

"Jun"

It wasn’t the time for Masaki to start defending Ohno again. I needed him to be alert to help keep Nino away from his friends or the storm would break out.

"Masaki, it’s important", I looked into his eyes. "Please... the moment Nino walks in..."

"Jun!", he exclaimed. "Listen to me, it’s not that I don’t want to help you. The problem is...", he pointed at the other side of the room. "We’re too late"

I turned around and my heart skipped a beat.

Masaki was pointing at his two friends, who were standing beside the drinks table, happily chatting with a smiling Nino. Strangely kind. He had more than likely guessed my intentions and had taken advantage of my little brief moment of absentmindedness in order to be quicker than me.

And much smarter, as usual.

He had managed to bring the ball into his court and gained total control.


	26. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It was a great surprise.

When Jun called to invite me to that party at the apartment he was now sharing with his boyfriend, I didn’t expect anything interesting to happen. At best, maybe receiving some accusatory look from this Masaki, like every time we met.

Truth is, I couldn’t blame him.

I had been in a casual sex relationship with Jun for a couple of years. It was understandable he’d see me as a rival, even though Jun and I had never slept together again after they started going out.

It was more than obvious he hated me, and I wasn’t very fond of him either because of the attitude he always had towards me.

That’s why I showed up late that night.

When I arrived at the apartment, I took the opportunity to walk in right when someone else was walking out. I looked around for Jun and found him in a corner, away from the party, talking to his boyfriend, so I decided not to bother him.

I leaned against the wall, waiting patiently for my turn to greet Jun and took a quick glance around the room. There was no one I knew. It was to be expected, considering Jun and I had met in a pub one night just a few years ago.

_Wait._

To my surprise, there was someone I knew. Someone I didn’t expect to be there at all that night: Ohno, with his boyfriend, the idiot.

_Well, well..._

So he had been ignoring me for a month and a half for nothing.

I smirked as I fixed my eyes on him, meeting his gaze, which showed a mixture of fear and surprise. I assumed he was afraid I might tell Sakurai everything, as my revenge for all those weeks without hearing anything from him, but I didn’t have many aces left up my sleeve.

I had to play them wisely.

I approached the drinks table, where the two lovebirds where standing, to help myself to something cold, and looked around for Jun to make sure he was still busy.

I walked closer to where they were standing and pretended not to see the bottle of whiskey that was right in front of me.

"Excuse me", I said without looking up from the table, pretending to be distracted. "Do you know if there’s any whiskey?"

"Yes, it’s right here", replied the pain in the ass, passing the bottle to me.

"Oh, thank you!", I replied with a smile and bowed to him.

I took the whiskey bottle and poured some into my glass.

"I’m sorry...", said Sakurai I, the Idiot. "But have we met before? Your face seems very familiar..."

_Hah!_

_I got him._

"Eh?", I looked at him, pretending not to remember him. "Uhm... your face looks very familiar too..."

"We’ve probably seen each other somewhere", he laughed.

I looked over at Ohno and pretended to remember something when I saw him.

"Ah! I know!", I looked back at Sakurai. "You live in the area where I work"

"Really?", Sakurai blinked, confused.

"Yeah, I’m Ninomiya, from the supermarket"

"Ninomiya?"

"You may not remember me because you don’t go there very often, but I used to have long conversations with Ohno when he came by himself in the morning"

I stared at Ohno again, hiding my triumphant smile, while his idiot boyfriend turned to him, asking him with his eyes.

"Ah, Ninomiya...", Ohno said. "Long time no see"

"Yeah, since you stopped coming to the supermarket"

"I still go. Just at night, though, when Sho comes home from work"

So Ohno wanted to play games. Then we would play.

"Yes", said Sakurai. "I’m usually at work in the morning, so it would be impossible for me to go shopping with him then"

"I see", I replied. "But in the morning there are far more fresh ingredients. Ohno and I used to have long conversations about that"

"Well", exclaimed the stupid Mr. Moneybags with an amused tone. "I see a lot can happen in the mornings at the supermarket"

_You can’t even imagine._

"Yeah, I was the one who gave that package of curry to him some months ago"

"Oh! The curry we use now?", Sakurai I of Tokyo glanced back at Ohno.

Ohno only nodded, clearly uncomfortable.

"I remember that day Ohno bought all the ingredients for curry, but he forgot the sauce"

"Woah! You have a good memory", Sakurai laughed. "I remember you now. You’re the guy who was at the checkout that day, aren’t you? The same one who delivered our shopping later on"

"Yeah, that’s me"

"I never had the chance to apologize for that day. I told you we would be taking the shopping with us, but I got an urgent call from my company and had to ask you to deliver it in the end"

"It’s OK, that’s my job", the smile was still on my lips. "So you have your own company..."

"Yes, well...", Sakurai now seemed to be shy.

"Doesn’t it take too many hours of your day?"

"It takes a lot of my time and attention"

The idiot didn’t seem to be comfortable speaking on the subject, but I didn’t care.

"I see. Does it leave you enough time for your partner?"

"Well... that’s something that concerns only me... and him..."

"I’m sorry if I bothered you with my question. I tend to be very straightforward, many people don’t like me because of that, but I remembered Ohno used to say he felt lonely when he came to the supermarket in the mornings. I was just curious to see if things had gotten better, that’s all"

I feigned a bow to make Sakurai believe I was really sorry.

"Ah... yeah... well... things are better, yes..."

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see how the pain in the ass threw Ohno a quick glance, looking both confused and surprised.

_Bingo._

"Is that so?", I gave Ohno a quick glance. "I would say that... your boyfriend... is pretty _fucked_ up", I laughed.

"Excuse me?", Sakurai frowned.

I was about to reply, in order to finish my move when Jun grabbed my arm.

"Here you are, Nino!"

"Yeah, I was helping myself to a drink", I replied, showing him my glass of whiskey.

"Why didn’t you say hello? Come with me, I want to introduce you to someone"

"But... I was speaking to...", I pointed to Sakurai and Ohno.

"Do you mind if I steal him for a moment?", Jun asked them.

Sakurai took a few seconds to react.

"No... of course not..."

"Thank you"

I bowed to them as Jun pulled me out of the living room, into the kitchen, where no one could hear us.

"What the hell is wrong with you, Nino?!", he shouted right after closing the door. "What’s your intent here? Do you want Masaki to kick you out or what?"

"My intent you ask?", I crossed my arms over my chest. "I don’t intend to do anything, why would your boyfriend kick me out?"

"Ohno and Sakurai are his friends!"

"So that’s why they’re here. I see"

"Don’t play around, Nino. Not with me"

"I don’t know what you expect me to say, that’s all"

"You told Sakurai that Ohno is 'pretty fucked up'! Are you crazy?"

I couldn’t help but smile, amused by my own choice of words.

_Pretty fucked up..._

"I only want Ohno to realize what he’s been doing, after I brought him into my house and took care of him when he had trouble with that idiot who’s rolling in dough. Not to mention everything that happened between us"

"Didn’t you think that maybe he’s just trying to move on and be happy?"

"And you think I’m going to forget everything? I may not be swimming in cash, but I have feelings for him. He has awoken this excitement in me that no one else has been able to for a long time, Jun. So I’m not going to stand idly by, watching as he slips out of my life, knowing how that idiot treats him"

Jun’s eyes were so wide open when I finished speaking that I had to look away. I felt embarrassed, having admitted everything out loud. I wanted out of that kitchen as soon as possible.

"I... don’t know what to say, Nino... Be careful... everything can turn out badly for the three of you..."

"I know what I’m doing", I replied before walking out of the kitchen and back to the party.

I didn’t annoy Sakurai again.

I let an hour or two pass by so things would calm down a bit and approached the couple again, while they were seating on one of the couches.

"I’ve come to... apologize for what happened earlier...", I said looking at my glass of vodka. "I’ve been a little uneasy lately, because of some things that are happening in my life..."

"It’s OK, I’ve already forgotten about it", Sakurai replied.

_He really is an idiot._

"Also... I was wondering if... you would mind me dancing with Ohno...", I looked at Mr. Moneybags. "Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to flirt with him, just dance"

Sakurai nodded almost immediately, but I could see how Ohno hesitated.

"It’ll be just a dance, I promise", I said.

"Come on, Satoshi, go", Sakurai encouraged him. "You love dancing and you always have to stay seated because of me. Today you have someone to dance with, why not take advantage of it?"

"But..."

"Don’t worry, I’ll be right here"

Ohno finally nodded and stood up.

We walked away from Sakurai, looking for a spot with some room, and began to move to the rhythm of the music, facing each other.

When the song ended, I felt I didn’t want to let him go, I felt I had to make the most of the opportunity fate had given me by having us meet at that party. I grabbed his wrist before he had the chance to return to the idiot, and pulled him into a separate room.

I didn’t even know where we were. I just exited the living room as quickly as possible and entered the door beside it, which seemed to be some sort of little room to keep things Jun and his boyfriend didn’t use very much.

"What are you doing?", Ohno asked.

"We need to talk"

"You said you only wanted to dance..."

"I know, but we all pretend. You yourself pretend not to feel anything for me"

"What?!"

I rested my hands against the wall and moved in closer to Ohno, cornering him, catching his lips with mine in a kiss filled with all the desire I had been holding back for a month and a half.

"I don’t want you to keep avoiding me", I said almost in a whisper, releasing him just enough to speak.

"We can’t keep seeing each other..."

"I love you", I replied staring into his eyes. "And, regardless of what happened between us, I consider you a friend I enjoy talking to and spending time with"

"Every time we meet, something happens", he looked at me. "I can’t control myself when I’m with you..."

"Where’s the problem in that? Leave Sakurai and move in with me. I can make you happy"

"I love Sho. I want to be with him...", he sighed. "I’m sorry... I’m sorry if you misunderstood my actions... but I’m not in love with you..."

This was nothing new, he had already told me that in the supermarket break room. I knew he wanted to be with Sakurai and not with me, but that didn’t make it any less painful every time I heard it from his lips.

"Fine", I replied, trying to keep my composure. "But let’s stay friends at least. Please Ohno, I don’t want you to kick me out of your life just because we feel attracted to one another"

_Damn it. I was begging him._

He sighed and remained silent, then looked at me.

"I can’t promise anything, but maybe I‘ll call you... to have a coffee somewhere public..."

I nodded.

I moved my hands away from the wall, letting him go. Ohno looked at me one last time before going back to the party, where his boyfriend, the pain in the ass, was waiting for him. I followed him with my eyes until he disappeared behind the door of that room.

I grabbed my coat, said goodbye to Jun, and went back to my place in Chiba.

As I drove, I recalled everything that happened that night, and I kept thinking about the words Ohno had told me.

_I can’t control myself when I’m with you..._

_Maybe I’ll call you... to have a coffee somewhere public..._

"Where there are more people...", I whispered.

Despite him saying he wasn’t in love with me and wanted to be with Sakurai, Ohno admitted that he couldn’t control himself when he was with me and only wanted to meet in public places, where there were more people around, to be certain nothing would ever happen between us.

All was not lost. I still had one last ace up my sleeve.


	27. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Satoshi seemed to be the center of attention that night.

First, Matsumoto, Aiba-chan’s boyfriend, wouldn’t take his eyes off him while he spoke. He pierced through him with those big, dark eyes as Satoshi looked down, feeling uncomfortable and embarrassed, just like he always did whenever the focus was on him.

After that, Ninomiya, the supermarket guy, had asked all those questions about whether I had time for Satoshi, glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, with a look that conveyed many negative things and, yet, none positive.

Plus, it seemed to me he knew too much.

I have never been a jealous person and I know that Satoshi has his friends, with whom he speaks and talks about his problems. But Ninomiya was the guy who worked in the local supermarket, why had my boyfriend opened up to him of all people and confessed his loneliness?

I looked at Satoshi several times during the conversation with Ninomiya, trying to find answers to the hundreds of questions that raced through my mind, and tried to understand exactly how shopping at the local supermarket could lead two people to start a personal relationship.

What was wrong? I knew there was a certain topic neither of us wanted to bring up, but I had no idea he had felt so blue he needed to turn to the supermarket guy to find someone who would listen to him.

And Ninomiya certainly did not inspire confidence at first sight.

He had a mocking smile permanently painted across his face as he made his little comments here and there, which quickly became a nuisance.

Especially when he said he saw Satoshi as 'pretty fucked up'.

_Pretty fucked..._

I frowned and shot him a look.

"Excuse me?", I asked incredulously.

Judging by his gestures and the expression on his face, Ninomiya was enjoying the situation, but when he was about to reply, Matsumoto appeared out of nowhere and dragged him away, saying he wanted to introduce him to someone.

I immediately turned to Satoshi.

"What’s wrong with that guy?"

"Don’t mind him, Sho..."

"He spoke to me as if I were an idiot, and talked about you as if he knew you really well. What’s with him? He’s only the supermarket guy"

"Come with me, let’s sit down"

Satoshi held my hand in his typical gentle way and tried to pull me along with him, but I didn’t move. I was stuck there, staring at him, wondering if he was hiding something from me.

Seeing how I didn’t move, he turned around and looked at me.

"Satoshi...", I said. "Why did he say he sees you _pretty fucked up_?"

"Eh?", he chuckled. "How am I supposed to know?"

"He said you used to speak often when you did the shopping in the mornings. Did you tell him anything that I should know about?"

"What do you mean?"

"I don’t know, Satoshi... maybe, at some point, you reached your limit and... you said something to him that you haven’t told me..."

He remained silent. I watched him.

I tried to find something in his face that might give me a clue. If I was right, and I had made him feel so bad that he had felt the need to speak to a total stranger, his gestures would betray him in some way. Even though Satoshi is not very expressive, he isn’t made of stone either. His eyes always tell the truth, no matter how much he tries to hide it.

"No", he said after a while. "I don’t remember sharing anything too personal with Ninomiya"

"Why did he say that you felt lonely then? And why would he ask if my job left me any time for you?"

"Ah, well, you know I feel a little lonely in the mornings because you aren’t at home. A few weeks ago, I felt like I couldn’t deal with things anymore because you came home from work so late at night and I was hardly able to see you. I told you all of this a while ago and we managed to fix it, didn’t we?", he looked at me. "Now you’re coming home earlier, we go to the supermarket together, and you’ve stopped working on the weekends. I feel much better"

"But... that guy must have seen something in your face to say that he saw you... well... in such a bad state, you know? I’m not going to repeat his words"

I frowned though, remembering them.

"I’m fine, really", he took my face in his hands and looked into my eyes. "We’re going to be happy from now on, OK?"

Satoshi’s almond-shaped eyes shone brightly and conveyed a feeling of confidence. I had been an idiot thinking that he was hiding something from me just because some supermarket guy had made a crude remark. I could trust Satoshi blindly. He had always proved that to me.

I nodded, slowly.

"OK", I replied, smiling back.

"Let’s take a seat, come on"

I followed him to one of the free seats, where we sat and talked about this and that. We caught up with the happenings at each other’s jobs, discussed the new dorama we had begun watching a few weeks ago and gossiped about the style of the celebrities in a magazine we found on the coffee table.

Two hours later, we were in the middle of gossiping about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, who had attended some event that week, when Ninomiya approached us again.

This time though, he didn’t bring his mocking smile.

"I’ve come to... apologize for what happened earlier...", he said looking down, staring at his glass. "I’ve been a little uneasy lately, because of some things that are happening in my life..."

I was speechless.

I expected him to continue with his disparaging comments, and I wasn’t going to be quiet this time. I was prepared to talk back and politely ask him to leave us alone. The last thing I expected was for him to come and apologize, much less for him to say he was going through a rough patch.

I felt terrible for thinking all those bad things about him. I had judged him without even knowing him.

"It’s OK, I’ve already forgotten about it", I replied.

He was silent for a while.

"Also... I was wondering if... you would mind me dancing with Ohno...", he looked up at me. "Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to flirt with him, just dance"

Flirt with him? It hadn’t even crossed my mind.

I nodded, giving him my approval. That guy wasn’t Satoshi’s type in the slightest, and my boyfriend, who loved to dance, always had to sit out the dances because of me. I was too clumsy and, in order not to make a fool of myself, never danced in public.

"It’ll be just a dance, I promise", Ninomiya said.

I looked at Satoshi, and saw he hesitated.

He probably thought I would be bothered if he danced with Ninomiya alone. Satoshi is like that, always trying not to upset the people he loves, even if he has to make sacrifices.

"Come on, Satoshi, go", I encouraged him with a smile. "You love dancing and you always have to stay still because of me. Today you have someone to dance with, why not take advantage of it?"

"But...", he tried to protest.

I was sure he would try to give some excuse to Ninomiya, but it would’ve been very selfish if I had let him do that. Especially after I had been suspicious of him for no reason a few hours earlier.

"Don’t worry, I’ll wait here", I told him, before he had time to protest again.

Satoshi finally nodded and walked away with Ninomiya.

I watched how they moved to the beat of the music, facing each other. Satoshi had complete control over his body, so that each one of his graceful movements was perfect and naturally in sync with the rhythm of the music. It was as if he were born to dance.

I was so lost in his movements I didn’t realize the song was over until I saw Ninomiya grab Satoshi’s wrist and drag him out of the room, without giving my boyfriend time to react.

I sat up on the couch, ready to get up and follow them, but Aiba-chan came and stopped me without being aware of it. He sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders, showing his eternal smile.

"Sho-chan~ Are you having fun?"

I blinked, still caught by surprise.

"Ah~ Yes, yes, I’m having fun", I smiled when I was finally able to react. "It’s an awesome party"

"Jun didn’t want to have it, you know? Don’t you think that would’ve been a mistake?"

"Yes, certainly. But, why didn’t he want to have it?"

"Well, it’s not that he didn’t want to have it. It’s just that he wanted to hold two different parties, one with his friends and another with mine. It wouldn’t have been this fun, don’t you think? Besides, we’re supposed to be holding this party because we’re serious and want to share everything in our lives with each other. It wouldn’t have made sense to separate our friends"

"Why did he want to do that?", I asked, thinking that Matsumoto was a very peculiar person. "As you said, it wouldn’t have made any sense"

"I know. It’s because of Nino"

"Nino? Is this the same Nino you told me used to sleep with Jun and tried to do so even when you two were together?"

"Yes, that Nino", Aiba-chan nodded.

"Wait. So then, he’s here tonight?"

"Yes", Aiba-chan looked around for this Nino. "How strange, I don’t see him", he said, focusing on me again. "That Ninomiya... I’m sure he’s already found his prey for tonight...", he whispered.

My heart stopped.

Ninomiya? Prey? I thought about Satoshi and how he had been dragged out of the living room by a Ninomiya as well. I panicked. I looked at Aiba-chan, with my eyes wide open.

"You said Ninomiya, right? Does he work at a supermarket?"

"Uhm, I think so. It’s pretty close to your house too. Why?"

Aiba-chan looked at me totally clueless, while my heart had gone back to its previous state, beating at breakneck speed. I grabbed my chest and began breathing heavily.

"Sho-chan?", Aiba-chan called to me worried, then took my face in his hand to force me to look up at him. "What’s wrong? Are you OK?"

"Satoshi... has just left with Ninomiya..."

"Eeeeeeeeeeh?!!", Aiba-chan jumped on the couch. "Where did they go? Where, Sho-chan?"

"I don’t know, they walked out a while ago", I pointed to the door of the living room, babbling on. "I don’t know where they went, I have no idea. I don’t know, Aiba-chan"

I knew Satoshi would never cheat on me, I completely trusted him. The one I didn’t trust was Ninomiya, and even less after having heard what Aiba-chan had to say about him.

I had been an idiot to leave Satoshi alone with him.

 

I stood up, ready to walk out of the living room and search the house for my boyfriend, when the door swung open and Satoshi appeared, with his usual relaxed look.

I blinked, unable to believe my eyes. What happened to Ninomiya? Where was he?

I approached Satoshi and grabbed his shoulders.

"Satoshi! Are you all right?"

"Eh?", he looked confused. "Y-Yes, why?"

"I saw how Ninomiya dragged you out of here, has he done anything to you?"

"Done anything to me?", he asked, even more confused. "We were just talking. He wanted to apologize for the scene he made before, next to the drinks table, and he didn’t want to do it in the middle of the living room, where everyone could hear. He was embarrassed, that’s all"

I sighed, relieved.

So Ninomiya only wanted to apologize. Once again, I had been a paranoid fool and had believed a story I had imagined myself, one that had nothing to do with reality.

I held Satoshi’s hand and led him back to the couch, where we sat down next to Aiba-chan.

I had to stop being so paranoid. Although Ninomiya did not inspire my confidence, I had to stop thinking about all kinds of outrageous things every time I saw a gesture or action from him that I didn’t like.

I needed to calm down and stop doubting or I would end up going crazy.


	28. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It was one of the worst nights of my life.

I thought Sho and I could be happy as long as he wasn’t aware of my betrayal. I thought everything would be fine if I kept quiet and acted as if nothing had ever happened, forgetting I had once been to Nino’s place or that I had looked for him at the supermarket.

But truth was nothing was fine.

I didn’t like parties; I had only agreed to go to Aiba’s boyfriend’s party because I knew it would make Sho and Aiba happy. My plan was to meet Matsumoto, have a drink, and then go home with Sho after a few hours.

I wish I had known that Matsumoto was Matsumoto Jun, Nino’s friend with foreign features. The very one who had pierced through me with his dark gaze at Tokyo Dome City and at that café in Shinagawa, the one who was piercing through me with those same deep eyes again that night, throwing me accusatory looks, full of silent reproach.

He knew everything.

Fortunately, it seemed he hadn’t said anything to Aiba, who happily chatted with Sho, with that usual smile on his lips, while making merry gestures with his hands.

But Nino knew everything. And he was there that night.

He had been invited as a friend of Matsumoto, and was leaning against the wall on the other side of the room, with a glass in his hand and a sly smile on his face, watching me.

I hoped he wouldn’t come near us; that he’d realized the best thing to do was pretending not to know each other at all. Sho was not very observant and wasn’t going to recognize him, even though Nino worked at the nearby supermarket, and it appeared that Matsumoto wasn’t going to say anything either.

But I knew Nino would act. And it wouldn’t take long for him to do so.

The moment Aiba and Matsumoto walked away, Nino was beside us, pretending to look for some bottle he couldn’t find on the table. I pulled Sho’s hand and tried to take him over to one of the couches, but it was too late. Nino spoke loud and clear, and asked us about the whiskey, still not looking up, as if his question wasn’t made directly to us.

I couldn’t say a word.

I was frozen, praying for him to show some compassion and not tell everything to Sho. I knew my boyfriend wouldn’t believe him that easily and that he would trust my word over Nino’s, but I was so nervous I knew I wouldn’t be able to deny it convincingly. Much less in front of Sho, who knew me better than anyone.

But it turned out Nino was much smarter than that.

Without saying anything, he had managed to make Sho realize they had met somewhere before. He carefully chose each and every one of his words, so that my boyfriend wouldn’t understand exactly what he meant, but both Nino and I perfectly understood all of his subtle hints.

He was cunning when he was angry.

Both of us knew he was playing with my boyfriend as he pleased, while at the same time, he was trying to make me understand that I couldn’t ignore him when I wanted to and expect him to give up.

Matsumoto came to save me, most likely because he didn’t want his party to end up in a complete disaster, and took Nino away with him, but I knew I couldn’t breathe easy just yet.

Sho looked at me with eyes that conveyed suspicion and pain, probably because that’s how he felt at the moment.

I tried to pretend and act as if nothing happened (it seemed it was what I did best lately). I held his hand and tried to take him over to one of the couches for a second time, but he just stood there, as if his feet were glued to the floor.

He was obviously annoyed with Nino, because of the rude and patronizing way in which he had spoken to him, but above all he was hurt because he believed I was hiding something from him. He was now convinced I had spoken about that 'something' with Nino at the supermarket.

When he asked me directly, I was speechless.

It felt as if my heart was going to jump out of my chest at any moment; I was already anxious and he had caught me completely off guard with that question. I couldn’t tell him the truth, but if I lied he would notice because I knew I wouldn’t be able to say a word without stammering or looking away from him.

I used the seconds in which I was speechless to pretend that I was trying to recall my conversations with Nino.

I took a deep breath.

"No", I finally said. "I don’t remember sharing anything too personal with Ninomiya"

Sho insisted, but I managed to make him believe Nino was talking about months ago when he said I had told him I was feeling lonely, that it was all in the past. Everything was all right now Sho had changed some of his work habits and we were able to spend more time together.

It wasn’t hard for me to pretend because it wasn’t a total lie.

I guess I sounded convincing enough for Sho to believe me and slowly nod as he smiled. I finally managed to get him to one of the open couches, where we sat down and had a pleasant time together, in between laughs and anecdotes.

Nino disappeared for a long time.

A little more than two hours had passed by when he approached us again, and he did so with a completely different attitude from the one earlier that night. He was no longer wearing his arrogant smile and had his head lowered a little, staring into his glass as he apologized to Sho for what he had said earlier.

It seemed that everything was finally going to calm down and the night would end well, but Nino had the brilliant idea of asking me to dance with him. And Sho, who was oblivious to everything that was happening, encouraged me to go when he saw I was hesitating.

In the end, I danced with Nino in the middle of the living room.

He said he only wanted to dance, so I had planned to immediately return to Sho the moment the song ended, but Nino grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the living room, without giving me a chance to say or do anything.

He pulled me into a small room that looked like something Aiba and Matsumoto used for storage.

"What are you doing?", I asked.

"We need to talk"

"You said you only wanted to dance..."

"I know, but we all pretend. You yourself pretend not to feel anything for me"

"What?!"

At that moment, I heard two loud thuds at each side of my head.

They were Nino’s hands, which he had planted on the wall, allowing me no other option but to stay there, cornered, while his lips leapt onto mine, kissing me with strength, fury and desire.

He had never kissed me like that before.

When he moved away and I could catch the breath that I had been holding until then, Nino stood just centimeters away from me, panting, speaking in almost a whisper.

"I don’t want you to keep avoiding me", he said.

"We can’t keep seeing each other..."

"I love you", he replied staring at me, making a shiver travel down my spine. "And, regardless of what happened between us, I consider you a friend I enjoy talking to and spending time with"

"Every time we meet, something happens. I can’t control myself when I’m with you..."

"Where’s the problem in that?", he said firmly. "Leave Sakurai and move in with me. I can make you happy"

It all sounded very beautiful and promising, but Nino was forgetting one important detail. The most important one.

I didn’t want to leave my partner.

"I love Sho. I want to be with him...", I sighed, tired of hurting my boyfriend without him even knowing. "I’m sorry... I’m sorry if you misunderstood my actions... but I’m not in love with you..."

I felt Nino shrinking in pain.

"Fine", he replied after some seconds, trying to keep his composure. "But let’s stay friends at least. Please Ohno, I don’t want you to kick me out of your life just because we feel attracted to one another"

Why did he insist on making things hard for me?

That situation was painful for me. For Nino, because I knew I was hurting him, and for Sho, because I knew I was betraying him again and again. And it seemed the more I tried to avoid it, the more I fell back into it.

I sighed and stood there silently, searching for the strength inside to be able to say goodbye to Nino once and for all, but I couldn’t find it. I didn’t have the heart to deny my friendship to someone who was begging me the way he was, as wrong as it could be to keep on seeing him.

I looked at him.

"I can’t promise anything, but maybe I‘ll call you... to have a coffee somewhere public..."

I didn’t want to meet him alone. I knew I wouldn’t be able to control myself if I did, so he would have to accept that or nothing.

He nodded and moved his hands away from the wall, releasing me.

I looked at him one last time before I walked out of that room and went back to the party, with my heart still pounding a mile a minute.

What else could happen that night?

I was emotionally exhausted. I wanted to go home, climb into bed and forget about everything. To be with Sho in our bed, where I felt safe and relaxed, and just fall asleep in his arms.

"Satoshi!", Sho exclaimed, grabbing my shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"Eh?", I blinked, completely taken by surprise. "Y-Yes, why?"

"I saw how Ninomiya dragged you out of here, has he done anything to you?"

Sho had seen us walking out of the living room together. I couldn’t say I had gone to the bathroom, he wouldn’t believe that if he had seen Nino pulling me out of there, but I didn’t understand his reaction either. What had happened for him to become so anxious and ask if Nino had done anything to me?

Amid all of the confusion, I tried to find the most believable excuse.

"Done something to me?", I asked, showing my confusion. "We were just talking. He wanted to apologize for the scene he made before, next to the drinks table, and he didn’t want to do it in the middle of the living room, where everyone could hear. He was embarrassed, that’s all"

He sighed, looking relieved.

He gently held my hand and led me back to the couch, where we sat down again, though we were not alone anymore; Aiba was there, and he was questioning me with his eyes.

I cleared my throat and looked at Sho.

"Sho... Do you mind if we go home now?... I’m a little tired..."

"Truth is I’m tired as well", he replied, caressing my hand, the one he was still holding.

We said goodbye to Aiba and then to Matsumoto, who was near the door, cheerfully chatting with two guys that seemed to be old friends of his.

When we left the apartment, I sighed in relief and finally began to relax. It was when I realized I was not only mentally exhausted, but physically as well. My whole body ached because I had been so tense throughout the entire night.

"It’s been a... uhm... strange night...", Sho commented when we reached the car and he hopped in.

"Yeah, it was pretty intense"

"I couldn’t agree more"

I yawned as he started the engine and began driving.

We said nothing more the whole way home. Sho was focused on the road, looking a bit pensive, and I was lying back in my seat, half asleep, wanting to get home to our bed and forget that day had ever existed.

I hated having to lie to Sho. And I hated myself for it.


	29. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Ohno never called.

Several days passed after the party, then weeks, and I never once was away from my cellphone, hoping I would hear it ring or see his name flashing across the screen. I went to bed as late as my schedule at the supermarket would allow me to, and woke up exactly six hours later because I didn’t want to be asleep if he called.

My phone never rang.

The screen never flashed Ohno’s name.

Was it just me or was he ignoring me again? The situation was beginning to seriously annoy me now. This time he wasn’t just passing on me, he had taken me for a fool and told me he would call just to shut me up, when he never really intended to do so in the first place.

I hated that I had allowed myself to be fooled like that, and I would sometimes curse Ohno, even though I really liked him. It was something I couldn’t control. My desire to see him was so great that it had become irrational and cursing only myself was driving me insane. It was as if I needed to blame him too, even when I knew he wasn’t guilty.

I was about to pick up the phone and call him myself more than once.

Waiting for him to call, letting the days go by, was eating me alive. Aside from that, it was distancing me from him. Every day that passed without talking to him or seeing him, was another day he wouldn’t think about me.

'Ninomiya Kazunari never lowers himself for anyone', I thought.

However, as the days passed, and it was nearly a month since I had kissed him in that room full of useless junk, I realized I had to be the one to do something or I would never see him again.

But it needed to seem a coincidence. As if I wasn’t looking for him.

I thought about meeting him 'by chance' one day when he got out of work, but I immediately discarded the idea because I had no clue where he actually worked, and following him or asking that idiot of boyfriend of his wasn’t an option.

Then it struck me to call and ask him for advice about fishing, but I erased the thought from my mind the very moment it occurred to me because, obviously, it was ridiculous.

It was impossible to be any more wretched.

Another brilliant idea I’d had was organizing a videogame tournament at my place and inviting him over along with several other friends. I think that was the worst and most desperate among all the ideas I had thought up. Why would Ohno want to come to my place, decrepit and with very little space, to spend an afternoon with my friends, who he’d never even met before?

I was beginning to go mad.

I didn’t want to give up, but I didn’t want to throw my pride out the window again begging him and dragging myself at his feet, as I had done at that damn party.

So when Sakurai came to the supermarket alone that morning, I saw the heavens open up.

I never imagined I would be so glad to see him, much less when he wasn’t accompanied by Ohno, but I saw my only chance in him. My last and desperate attempt to break their relationship and have Ohno return to me.

Now I just had to find a way to execute it.

I followed the idiot through the aisles, watching each and every one of his movements. Judging by the large and heavy things he was placing in his cart, it looked like he was doing their monthly shopping, which meant he would probably ask for it to be delivered.

I was right.

As Mr. Moneybags reached the checkout, he asked for his purchase to be delivered the next day, saying that any time during the day was fine because he was planning on working from home.

That was my chance.

I left my hiding place, pretending to walk past right as the idiot said those words.

"Hello!", I exclaimed pretending to be surprised, approaching him. "Long time no see! Do you remember me?"

Sakurai was surprised and smiled.

"Yes, of course. We met a few weeks ago at Matsumoto’s party, right?"

"Exactly", I replied, smiling back and pointing at his groceries. "Why did you come alone today?"

"A co-worker at Satoshi’s kissaten is sick, so he has to work a double shift this week"

"I see", I looked at him. "Would you like me to deliver all this for you?"

"Er... well... if it’s not too much trouble..."

"It’s my job, don’t worry"

"Tomorrow I’ll be home all day, so anytime is fine"

"How about half past seven then?"

"Sounds good. Satoshi is back at eight, so everything will be home just in time for him to help me put everything away", he looked at me, somewhat embarrassed. "I’m terrible when it comes to putting groceries away properly"

I pretended to laugh at his stupidity.

I knew perfectly well that Ohno arrived home at eight, which was why I had chosen half past seven to deliver their groceries. Sakurai wasn’t aware of it, but I had the perfect plan, and I had managed to get him follow along with minimal effort, making everything look like a coincidence.

The next day, at exactly seven-thirty, I rang the doorbell of the luxurious apartment where Ohno and Mr. Moneybags lived.

Sakurai I of Tokyo, better known as the idiot or the pain the ass, opened the door with a polite smile on his lips. I doubt he liked me very much, but then again I didn’t like him either.

I was only pretending in order to fulfill my plans and steal his boyfriend.

"Hello", he said, taking a step back. "Please, come on in"

I entered the apartment which I was already familiar with and went straight to the kitchen, where I left the boxes and took out the receipt for the idiot to sign. He looked at me with an amused expression and took the pen I had offered to him so he could record that he had received the delivery in a satisfactory fashion.

"I see you already know the house", he said, handing my pen back.

"Well, just the entrance, the hallway and the kitchen"

"Of course. It would be weird to leave the delivery in the bathroom", he laughed.

I laughed too, thinking how well things were turning out.

"You really have a very beautiful apartment", I said looking around, paying attention to all of the ornaments and expensive tiles on the walls. "I had never seen a western-style place before this", I looked at Sakurai. "I mean, that wasn’t a restaurant or a shop, you know?"

"I think western-style houses are more modern and offer a better level of comfort than the traditional style, that’s why I chose this place. I must admit I enjoy living in a Japanese environment every once in a while, but that’s what onsen and ryokan exist for"

"If I could choose where to live, I would choose a place like this, no doubt"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, my salary is not that high. I’m grateful I’m able to pay the rent for my little apartment in Chiba"

"In Chiba? God! That’s pretty far away..."

"Half an hour by car, an hour by train from here. But I can’t afford anything in the city center "

"I see..."

I looked around again, pretending to love the place, which in reality was way too big for my taste and overwhelmed me with its overly-modern style. Then I looked again at Sakurai.

"It’s really a fantastic place", I said. "I would love to see the other rooms, if it’s not too much trouble"

"Y-Yes, sure", it was obvious I had caught him off guard and he didn’t feel like showing me around his place, but he was too polite (or better said, too stuck-up) to refuse. "Would you like some tea? I have a sencha with an excellent aroma and flavor"

"I appreciate the offer, but I’m on working hours. I should get back to the supermarket soon, so a quick look will suffice"

Sakurai, the pain in the ass, nodded and guided me to the end of the hallway, where the bathroom that he shared with Ohno was. There, I could see his shampoo, Tsubaki by Shiseido, which explained why Ohno’s hair always smelled so nice and was so soft; his towel, a very manly blue color; and his toothbrush, which was placed inside a small cup, together with Sakurai’s.

"As you can see, this is the bathroom", he laughed. "It isn’t very big, but it’s enough for the two of us"

"It’s twice the size of the bathroom in my apartment"

"Really? Well... I’m sorry... Perhaps I’ve offended you..."

"Not at all", I said, shaking my head.

"OK... Well, that’s the guest room", he said pointing to the door that was right beside the bathroom.

I followed him and saw that behind the door was a room of average size, painted in very neutral colors so that his guests would always feel comfortable whatever their taste was, according to Sakurai.

Sometimes, his way of speaking really made my teeth grind.

After the guest room, came the living room, open and spacious, which was connected to a dining area with a large table and six chairs, three on each side. Definitely too many chairs for just two people.

"We don’t eat in here", the idiot said, as if he had read my thoughts. "We normally use the kitchen table, it’s cozier"

Nothing in that house was cozy.

Everything was impersonal, large, spacious and full of ornaments and embellishments everywhere. Apart from that, the furniture and fabrics looked so expensive I didn’t dare to lay a finger on them.

"Yeah, it is more... cozy...", I lied.

I don’t know what caused the guffaw Sakurai let out, but I wasn’t all that bothered to find out either. After all, I was just biding my time until Ohno came home so that he’d see me there, speaking casually with his boyfriend.

And now came the interesting part: the master bedroom.

The idiot, pain in the ass, filthy rich, posh and pompous guy happily led me there. It seemed as though he had gotten used to guiding me around the house, and even appeared to like it because he had started to describe everything with vigor, talking incessantly, although I had stopped listening to him a while ago.

I was too busy staring at the huge bed where Ohno and Sakurai slept, imagining myself sleeping on it. It looked so comfortable that I was sure just lying on it would give me an orgasm. And if Ohno was by my side, I could die right there and I wouldn’t mind.

I scanned both sides of the room, fixing my retina on every detail, and found myself smiling at the fact that it was so obvious which side was Ohno’s, and which was the idiot’s. Especially, after seeing a fish-shaped clock on the bedside table.

Sakurai must have realized it had caught my attention because he pointed at it with a giggle that sounded nervous, amused and somewhat embarrassed all at the same time.

"Satoshi is a fishing fanatic", he said.

As if I didn’t already know...

At that moment, I heard a very opportune _click_ that saved me from having to respond to Mr. Moneybags, followed by the sound of dragging footsteps and a door closing.

"Tadaima~"

It was Ohno’s voice.

"Okaeri~", Sakurai hurriedly replied as he walked to the main door to greet his boyfriend, not caring that he was leaving a stranger alone in his bedroom.

I smirked and followed the idiot.

The show was about to begin.


	30. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I was exhausted that night.

I had been working a double shift all week because Ashida had appendicitis and had to undergo an emergency surgery. I wasn’t even sure if I would have a double shift again the following week, but knowing it was Friday and having the next day off made me feel lucky somehow.

Plus, Sho would be at home waiting for me.

"Tadaima~", I said, entering the apartment and taking my shoes off.

"Okaeri~", Sho replied cheerfully, hurrying to the front door to greet me.

A foolish smile appeared on my lips as I put on my slippers and approached my boyfriend, throwing my arms around his neck, letting my fingers play with the hair on the nape of his neck.

"I’m exhausted", I said. "I think I made more _Napolitan_ today than in my entire life"

"Go take a bath and we can go out for dinner, if you want", Sho replied, brushing my bangs off my forehead. "It’s Friday, it’s our night"

I nodded and gently kissed his lips.

He smiled at me and I was sure we would be together forever. Although he still worked many more hours than he should, he now paid more attention to me and, as he said, we had made Friday’s our night. The beginning of our weekend with no calls from customers or emergencies that took him away from me.

When I released him, much to my regret, to walk to the bathroom, I stopped dead in my tracks.

Leaning against the doorframe of the living room was Nino, watching Sho and I with a certain smile that could not mean anything good.

What was he doing there? How long had he been alone with Sho?

I looked at Sho, searching for answers, for some indication of what he may have spoken to Nino about while I wasn’t there, but I found nothing. His expression was relaxed and his eyes looked at me the way they always did as he pointed to Nino and explained why he was there.

"Ninomiya came to deliver the groceries I bought yesterday"

"Ah~", I replied, somewhat relieved.

"Will you help me put them away later?"

"Yeah, sure. You’re a disaster when it comes to putting the groceries away", I laughed.

Nino cleared his throat and walked to the front door.

"I’ll take my leave now", he said dryly.

The expression on his face was tense, and knowing him as I did, I could perfectly see that he was holding his tongue. He was fighting against himself.

"Oh!", I said, touching my pockets, looking for something in them. "Geez, I forgot to buy cigarettes at the konbini before coming home", I looked at Sho. "I’m going back out real quick, I’ll be back soon. Start putting the rice and pasta in the cupboard, if you want"

Sho nodded as I put my shoes back on.

Nino wore a half disguised triumphant smile as he opened the door and the two of us walked out into the hallway of the building. It was obvious he had planned the entire thing, and both Sho and I had completely fallen into his trap, but that wasn’t what worried me at the moment. I only wanted to know what he been talking about with my boyfriend while I wasn’t there.

We stepped into the elevator in silence and neither of us said anything as we left the building and walked down the street towards the supermarket. Fortunately, the konbini was in the same direction and I wasn’t lying when I said I needed cigarettes.

When we were far enough away from my house, I spoke up.

"You shouldn’t involve Sho in this..."

"Ah! So you can speak", he said sarcastically.

"I’m serious, Nino. Don’t hurt Sho, please"

"That idiot lives in his own little rainbow-colored world"

I frowned. I didn’t like him calling Sho an idiot.

"What did you two talk about?", I asked.

"Oh, well. I see you’ve finally stopped ignoring me", he said in a mocking tone.

I remained silent.

I knew Nino was right. Once again, I had been ignoring him, being fully aware of it, avoiding calling him, even when I had told him I would. It was natural that he was angry and spoke so sarcastically.

"You have a very beautiful place", he said, interrupting my thoughts. "It’s plain to see your boyfriend makes a ton of money...", he looked at me. "So is that why you’re still with him?"

I frowned again. I’d had enough.

"I already told you that I’m in love with him, not you. You just filled his empty place for a couple of days"

Nino stopped in his tracks.

I was aware that my words had been harsh and had probably hurt more than his pride, but I was tired of his games and listening to him insult Sho. I wanted to permanently end the situation as soon as possible, to start being happy again with my boyfriend, without having to be on edge just in case Nino happened to show up when I least expected it, as he had that day.

I stopped as well and faced Nino, standing there in the middle of the street, with a tense expression on his face and a shine in his eyes I had never seen before.

"Do you want to know what we spoke about?"

I nodded, staring into his eyes.

"Then you’ll have to call me as you promised, and meet me in private"

"I already told you I don’t want to meet you alone..."

"I don’t care!", he interrupted me, raising his voice. I looked around, to make sure no one had heard him. "I don’t give a shit if you can’t control yourself when you’re with me. In fact, it’s what I want, that you don’t control yourself, that you listen to your heart and leave Sakurai. You know damn well that you’re never going to be happy with him"

"Sho makes me happy..."

"That’s not true, and you know it"

I sighed.

Nino wasn’t going to see reason. He wasn’t going to listen to me, as he had before, and he would continue to insist no matter how much I said I didn’t want to see him again. Anyway, the street was not the best place to have such a conversation.

"Tell me what you said to him", I asked in an imploring tone. "Tell me what you talked about, what did you tell him? Please, Nino..."

"I’ll tell you when you call and we meet alone"

He was not going to give up until he got what he wanted.

I didn’t want to meet him alone to avoid any kind of physical contact that might arise between us, but it reached a point where I couldn’t do anything else. Nino’s wishes were very different from mine and I knew the only way to put an end to our story was giving into them. Only then would I manage to make him listen to me.

"Fine", I said. "But you have to promise me that it’ll be the last time we meet alone. Then each of us will go on with our lives, as we should have a long time ago"

He nodded in silence.

"I need you to promise me, Nino. Give me your word that after we meet, you won’t try to get close to me or Sho again and that you won’t keep looking for me"

"OK", he accepted. "If that’s what you really want, I won’t come close to you again. But I have one condition as well..."

"What is it?"

"I want us to meet at your place"

Was he joking? At my place? Where I lived with Sho?

"We can’t"

"A day Sakurai’s not there", he continued, ignoring my refusal.

"But..."

I looked at him and I knew he wouldn’t accept anything else I might offer.

Nino had more than carefully thought things out and decided that we would meet at my place. As things were, with me making him promise that it would be the last time we’d see each other, I knew he wasn’t going to budge.

"Fine", I said after some minutes. "At my place, OK. But it’ll have to be brief because I don’t want Sho to come home and wonder what the supermarket guy is doing there. I would have to give him too many explanations and I don’t feel confident about it. He would know I was lying"

"On your birthday"

"What?"

"I want to see you for the last time on your birthday"

Now what was all this about?

"Why on my birthday?", I asked, confused.

"I want you to never forget me"

"I don’t think I’ll ever forget you anyway..."

"I want every year, when you turn another a year older, for you to think of me. I want you to remember that you chose not to be happy with me"

Nino was hurt, and his words were like daggers that aimed to kill.

I lowered my head and looked at my feet. I understood his pain, but it wasn’t fair for him to try to hurt me with words when I had made it clear before that I wanted to be with Sho and not with him.

"Nino, I can’t do that. Sho always prepares something special on my birthday..."

"I don’t care"

"Why not a Wednesday? It’s my day off..."

"No"

"But we can only meet for a few hours in the morning this way. If we meet on a Wednesday, we’ll have the whole day, and we can even have lunch together"

"A couple of hours will be enough, I don’t need more"

"Nino...", I sighed.

"I want to see you on November 26th, at your place"

It didn’t make any sense to keep insisting.

Nino wouldn’t change his mind, and I didn’t want him to regret having accepted my request to never see each other again. I’d rather not have to see him on my birthday though, because I knew I would be watching the clock and thinking about Sho more than Nino, but I wanted to settle things once and for all.

"OK, November 26th, at my place", I ended up accepting. "I’ll ask for the day off, so we can speak in peace, but I need you to leave before nine... please... that’s when Sho gets home..."

"No problem", he replied with a triumphant smile on his lips.

"Come at around half past three. Sho always leaves for the company at three, so there should be no problem. However, have your cellphone nearby, just in case he decides to leave later than usual. I’ll send you an e-mail"

"Ryoukai~", he said, giving a military salute. "November 26th, half past three, at your place"

I nodded and he said goodbye.

I wasn’t convinced at all about my date with Nino, at my place and on my birthday, but I felt trapped in a blind alley, in which I had walked in by myself.

On November 26th, at three o’clock, Sho quickly grabbed all of his things, as he put the last piece of yakitori in his mouth and put on his suit jacket.

"I’ll see you tonight", he said, kissing my lips.

I nodded with a smile and walked him to the door, to say goodbye.

"Itterasshai. Ki wo tsukete ne~"

"Ittekimasu~", he replied before disappearing behind the door.

I sighed and tidied up the kitchen. My hands were trembling as I took the dishes from the table and put them in the dishwasher. Nino was about to arrive and it made me feel anxious.

When I finished in the kitchen, I went to the living room and waited there, sitting in silence.

At half past three, on the dot, the doorbell rang.

"Here we go...", I whispered, encouraging myself.

I took a deep breath, walked to the door and opened it, trying to show a smile, even though my nerves were eating my insides.

"Hello...", said a shy Nino, holding a small package in his hands.

"Hello...", I replied, becoming a bit shy as well.

"May I come in?"

"Y-yes, sure..."

I stepped back to let him in, with his little present, which he handed to me the moment I closed the door and turned around to look at him.

"It’s not much, but... otanjoubi omedetou~", he said with a genuine smile.

Nino’s smile.

I took the present and made a little bow with my head.

"Arigatou~", I looked at him again. "Is it all right if I open it now?"

"Yes, of course. I’m dying for you to see it"

That little package was wrapped so delicately that I didn’t dare tear the wrapping. I opened it gently, carefully pulling the bow, thinking that Nino had wrapped it with care and all of his affection.

I pulled back the edges of the brilliant paper and my eyes opened wide.

The kabusecha. He remembered.


	31. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

I did it.

After convincing Sakurai the idiot to show me around his place, so I could kill some time until Ohno came home, I knew the most difficult part of my plan would be convincing Mr. Spicy Curry to meet with me at their apartment, on his birthday.

I had to use every weapon in my arsenal and exhaust all my resources. I even had to get serious and respond curtly, running the risk of being hated by him and definitively closing any open door, but Ohno felt too guilty about everything that had happened between us and felt he now had to face the consequences of his actions.

Besides, I knew he had feelings for me.

If that wasn’t the case, then why did he always end up agreeing to my requests, no matter how rude I was? If he really didn’t want to see me anymore, as he always said, why did he end up looking for me or saying yes?

And this time he had agreed to meet me at his place, on his birthday.

November 26th.

Ohno said Sakurai went to work at three o’clock, so I should come over at half past three. If his boyfriend, the moron, decided to leave later that day, he would send me an e-mail.

At a quarter to three, I was at the main door of his building.

I was in the middle of my third cigarette, when Sakurai shot out of the building, not realizing I was leaning against the wall, quietly smoking. Or maybe he did. Because when he had already passed by, he stopped in his tracks and turned around to look at me curiously, as if to make sure he wasn’t seeing things.

"Yo~", I greeted him with a smile.

He bowed to me and smiled back before turning around and heading to his car. Then he disappeared down the street, driving that piece of junk that probably cost more money than all my possessions together, including my apartment’s rent for a year.

When I finished the cigarette, I smoked two more before going up to Ohno’s place.

At three-thirty, sharp, I took out the small present I had in my jacket pocket, and pressed the doorbell to apartment K (I still found it ironic that the letter of his apartment was the same as the first letter in my name).

Ohno answered the door, fully-clothed this time, and a tense smile on his face.

"Hello...", I said in a soft, shy tone.

Why did my actions always betray me?

"Hello...", he replied shyly.

He seemed less tense now, at least.

"May I come in?", I asked.

"Y-Yes, sure..."

He stepped back and let me in. He closed the door and, when he turned around to look at me, I handed him the small present I had been holding.

"It’s not much, but... otanjoubi omedetou~", I said, showing my very best smile.

He took the present and gave a little bow.

"Arigatou~", he looked at me. "Is it all right if I open it now?"

"Yes, of course. I’m dying for you to see it"

He didn’t tear the wrapping off.

Seeing him there, carefully pulling the blue bow, in that gentle way of his, it was no wonder I had fallen for him and no one else. Ohno Satoshi was beautiful, every part of him, and he gave off pieces of his beauty in each of his movements.

He pulled back the edges of the paper and his eyes widened.

I loved the look of surprise on his face, the way he opened his dark, almond-shaped eyes and how his mouth formed a kind of little circle, as if he was preparing to exclaim something that never made it past his lips.

He looked at me again, with that adorable expression still on his face.

"Thank you. I didn’t think you’d remember after all this time"

"Almost five months have passed since you were at my place drinking this tea, but I didn’t forget my promise to get you some"

"Come on in", he said, entering the apartment himself, inviting me to follow him. "Make yourself comfortable in the living room while I prepare some snacks. I’ll use the kabusecha"

I nodded as he walked into the kitchen.

I remembered the apartment’s layout perfectly, which Sakurai the pain in the ass had showed me a couple of weeks earlier, so I walked to the living room and sat down on one of the couches, waiting for Ohno to join me.

It didn’t take long for him to appear with a small, traditional style-tray bringing two steaming cups of tea and two plates with sweets: one with manjuu and daifuku, and the other with taiyaki. He placed the plates and the two cups of tea on the coffee table and set the tray aside.

"I didn’t know which sweets you like to have with your tea", he said, sitting down next to me on the couch. "So I brought a little bit of everything. You can have whatever you want"

"Tea is just fine, don’t worry", I said, taking one of the cups.

"I’ll have one of these. I’ve just eaten lunch and I feel like something sweet", he laughed, grabbing a taiyaki from the table.

As if it could be any other way.

Ohno loved fishing and everything that had to do with it. Of course he would choose the fish-shaped sweets. In fact, I suspected those sweets were in that house just because Ohno ate them. Eating taiyaki didn’t suit Mr. Moneybags.

"Ne, Nino~", he said with the half-eaten taiyaki in his hand. "You didn’t tell Sho anything, right? He seems to be acting normal towards me, but I don’t know, maybe he’s just pretending"

"Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything to him. I only came to deliver the groceries, as he said, and he showed me around your place"

"Sho showed you around the house?", he blinked.

"Yes, I asked him", I looked at him. "Truth is, I was only killing time until you came home. I wanted to see you and wanted you to see me with him so you would wonder what we had been talking about, so then I’d have a reason to see you in private"

"You evil"

But he said it with a laugh. I smiled.

"I only wanted to see you. That’s all"

"Listen, Nino", he sighed. "I like spending time with you, you already know that, but you also know what happens every time we meet in private. That’s why I made you promise the other day not to come looking for me anymore. To be honest, it isn’t that I don’t want to see you ever again, this is only temporary, until things settle down between us and we can have a normal friendship"

"I need to see you, Ohno... I need... to have you in my life..."

He was silent for a few seconds.

"You’ll get over it. You’ll meet someone who will complete you in a way I never could and you’ll forget all about us"

"Never", I vigorously denied.

"I already have a partner, and I want to be with him always", he sighed. "I’m really sorry, Nino... I didn’t want to hurt you... but I can’t lie to you...", he looked at me. "I do feel something for you, but it’s just not strong enough to make me leave Sho"

"Then I didn’t just fill his place for a couple of days..."

"I said that in the heat of the moment because I was hurt. Of course it isn’t true"

Without thinking, almost unconsciously, I reached out and gently held his hand. That hand, with those long fingers that drove me crazy.

"If it’s like that... and this is really the last time we’ll see each other for a while... I want it to be special..."

"Nino..."

"Please", I said looking into his eyes, lowering my voice. "Don’t tell me I can’t have you... after waiting for more than three months..."

I placed my hand on his cheek, and gently pulled his hand to bring him closer to me and slowly kissed his lips, deliberately, trying to convey everything I felt for him. Letting him know that I was serious, and that for me, this wasn’t just sex.

At the beginning, he let me kiss him, he even parted his lips, allowing me to explore his mouth with my tongue, but then he placed his hand on my chest, pushing me away slightly.

"I can’t...", he said, his breath heavy and his cheeks stained red. "Not here... It’s Sho’s house... I live here with him..."

"Who cares where we are?", I replied, trailing kisses down his face to his jawline, soft as caresses. "Let me give you the other part of your gift..."

"Nino... no... ah..."

When I trailed kisses down his jawline to his neck, he sighed in that way that made me go out of my mind, and I couldn’t contain myself any longer. I let one of my hands slip under his shirt, caressing the smooth skin of his stomach, as I continued kissing his neck and unbuttoned the top buttons to make way to his collarbone. He wrapped his arms around me, still sighing so close to my ear that I couldn’t help taking my hand out from under his shirt and placing it on his pants, rubbing his crotch in little circles.

He moaned and gripped at my shirt.

"Come with me...", I whispered, standing up and holding his hand.

"Eh? W-Where?", he asked, standing up with me.

"To make ourselves more comfortable"

I put my arms around his waist as I kissed him again and pulled him towards the master bedroom. Fortunately, I’ve always had good memory, so finding my way wasn’t a problem, although it was difficult to walk while having Ohno so close to me and being more focused on his lips than on my steps.

"Nino...", he said, as I laid him down on bed. "Sho could come back..."

I glanced at the fish-shaped clock on the bedside table.

Almost six o’clock.

"It’s hardly six o’clock...", I said lying on him, kissing his neck again. "We’ve got time..."

I quickly unbuttoned his shirt and opened it, exposing his chest and abs. I straddled his waist and trailed a line of passionate kisses down his chest, as he arched his back, as a sign of pleasure, and entangled his fingers in my hair.

Not only were his gestures beautiful, but his body as well.

He unzipped my pants and moaned when my hand went back to his crotch, while my tongue played with one of his nipples, losing control of his actions, finally allowing himself to be carried away by the passion and desire I was sure he had always felt towards me.

"Satoshi..."

A thud came from some part of the room.

Ohno jumped and twisted under me until he managed to get away. He immediately stood up and covered his chest, looking down at the floor, his cheeks stained with a firey red.

I looked over at the door and discovered Sakurai standing there, motionless, with his gaze fixed on Ohno. His eyes were wide and he still had his hand outstretched, in which I assumed he had been carrying the box that was now on the floor. Judging by the pieces of yellow sponge that had escaped, I guessed it was a cake.

"Get out of here", was all he said, staring at me.

I buttoned the pants that Ohno had begun to unbutton seconds earlier, slowly, in no rush, and I walked out of the room. Not before flashing a triumphant smile at Sakurai, as I passed by.

My plan was a success.

Sakurai would leave Ohno. And my moment would finally come.


	32. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

Satoshi’s birthday was a special day.

Someone as exceptional as him had been born on that date, and it was the third year I would be there to celebrate it with him. I felt fortunate, blessed to have him by my side, and that day I wanted to celebrate his existence more than ever.

The first thing I did was going down the supermarket to buy candles and some other things to prepare a little surprise for him.

When Ninomiya saw me, he approached me, curious.

"What are you celebrating?", he asked with a smile.

"Satoshi’s birthday"

"Oh, really? When is it?"

"November 26th"

"That’s in a couple of days! Be sure to congratulate him for me"

"I will", I smiled.

"Are you going to buy him a cake?", he asked me.

"Yes, of course. What’s a birthday without a cake?"

"Then I’m going to recommend a very good place where they make custom cakes. Hang on for just a second", he said before disappearing behind the door to what looked like a break room. He returned a few minutes later, with a piece of paper in his hand. "Here you go. That’s the address and telephone number. If Ohno has any hobbies, you can order a cake with a theme. I’m sure he wouldn’t expect it at all"

"Oh, thank you. I’ll definitely take a look at their website"

"If you show up at home earlier than usual, he’ll die of happiness. When he used to come to do the grocery shopping in the morning, he always complained that he spent hours alone at home because you would leave so early and come home so late. It would be nice if you made an exception on his birthday and showed up earlier"

That guy was nice, except for that one time at Matsumoto’s party, but there was something about him that rubbed me the wrong way. He spoke about Satoshi as if he knew him intimately, and it infuriated me.

"Thanks for the advice, I’ll see what I can do", I cleared my throat. "If you excuse me, I’m in a bit of a hurry"

Ninomiya nodded, wearing that flawless grin, as he said goodbye.

The next day, I checked out the website of the custom cake place from my office and discovered that they made lots of really interesting things, and were very well done. They had several photos of other customized orders; one of them showed a rectangular cake with a picture of a couple and a sentence written beneath it, which gave me the perfect idea.

On Satoshi’s birthday, I took the day off, but he didn’t know anything about it.

I used the morning to finish preparing his gift, then went back home to have lunch with him, as he wasn’t working that day either, and left the house at three, as I did every day, wearing a suit so he wouldn’t suspect anything.

I left the building in a rush, just in case Satoshi leaned out the window and saw me, but even then, I was able to catch the fleeting image of a young man, short and dark haired, smoking a cigarette, while leaning against the front of our building. I stopped in my tracks and turned around to make sure my eyes hadn’t deceived me.

It was Ninomiya.

"Yo~", he greeted me with a smile.

I bowed to him and smiled back.

I walked to my car, wondering what he was doing there. He wasn’t wearing his supermarket uniform and was smoking quietly, which indicated that he wasn’t working, so he wasn’t there to deliver some neighbor’s groceries. He probably had a friend that lived there, even though he told me he’d never been in such a western-styled house before.

Truth is, I didn’t care. Ninomiya wasn’t my problem. I had more important things on my mind than to worry about some guy I didn’t even like.

First, I went to have a drink with Aiba-chan, who had done me the favor of meeting me while I killed some time, and then I went to the bakery shop to pick up the cake. It had come out perfect.

I placed the box on the back seat of the car and headed home.

When I hopped out of the car and grabbed the cake, I took a look at my watch: it was almost six. Most likely, Satoshi would be home, getting everything ready for dinner, even though it was his birthday and he shouldn’t be doing anything that day.

I had decided to follow Ninomiya’s advice and surprise my boyfriend, getting home three hours earlier than usual.

I was dying to see his happy face.

The elevator ride to our floor took what seemed like an eternity, and at first I couldn’t fit my key into the lock. It always happens when I’m nervous. My hands shake and I’m unable to do practically anything.

When I finally managed to open the door, I did it so quietly, and entered almost on tiptoe, without announcing my arrival. I didn’t want Satoshi to see me until I had walked into the kitchen shouting 'Surprise!', as I opened the box and showed the cake to him. Or rather, the work of art they had created at the bakery.

I slipped silently down the hall to the kitchen and peeked inside with an excited expression, but Satoshi wasn’t there. I noticed that the teapot had been used and was still steaming. Perhaps Satoshi had decided to have a relaxing afternoon and was enjoying a cup of tea.

I peered into the living room, again with an excited expression, but he wasn’t there either. There were only two plates with sweets on the table, and two tea cups half emptied... Two?

At that moment, I heard a male voice coming from the bedroom.

It wasn’t Satoshi’s.

"It’s hardly six o’clock... We’ve got time...", he said.

My heart leapt in my chest and began to race as I hurried my steps to the master bedroom. The one I shared with Satoshi.

I wanted to die right there.

Ninomiya was straddling my boyfriend and had unbuttoned his shirt, leaving his upper body exposed. He kissed his chest, while Satoshi arched his back, obviously enjoying it, and entangled his fingers in Ninomiya’s hair.

On our bed, where we had made love so many times.

The world stopped spinning and I felt my chest start to hurt. Everything around me cracked, it shattered into a thousand pieces, watching Satoshi unbutton Ninomiya’s pants and moaning as the other man touched him and ran his tongue over the chest of the one who was still my boyfriend.

My Satoshi.

I couldn’t take it anymore. I didn’t want to see any more.

"Satoshi...", I whispered, letting the cake fall to the floor.

He was startled upon hearing my voice, twisting under Ninomiya until he managed to push him away and immediately stood up, quickly covering his bare chest with his shirt. Then he looked down, blushing violently.

Ninomiya was far more shameless and stared directly at me, as if to challenge me.

"Get out of here", I said in a dry, harsh tone, fixing my eyes on him.

But far from being in a hurry, the supermarket guy calmly buttoned his pants and walked out of the room at a relaxed pace, while flashing that shit-eating grin of his as he passed by me.

That was the real Ninomiya. The one who laughed at the world and didn’t make a move that wasn’t already planned, manipulating everyone around him so that things went exactly as he wanted.

I felt like a fool. And now I understood everything.

This was not the first time Ninomiya and Satoshi were together. Satoshi had been lying to me since God knows when, and Ninomiya had been manipulating me as he pleased. I had been a mere pawn in his little game. A puppet. And like an idiot, I had fallen right into his trap.

"S-Sho...", Satoshi stammered, bringing me back to reality.

"I said get out of here", I replied sharply.

He only lowered his head, as a tear rolled down his cheek and tried to button his shirt as quickly as possible with his trembling fingers. Then he ran out of there, while tears relentlessly flowed down his cheeks, weeping desperately.

I knew I wanted to go after him and hug him.

If there was something in this world that I couldn’t bear, it was seeing Satoshi cry. But at that moment, I felt so dejected, so beaten, that I couldn’t even manage to make my legs respond.

I let myself fall to the floor, still unable to believe what I had just seen, and opened the box in front of me to find that the cake was broken. Some pieces had left the box and were scattered over the floor. The picture of me and Satoshi was cracked, and the missing pieces were now everywhere on the floor, and the sentence _'It’s the little things that only I know, those are the things that make you mine'_ , didn’t make sense anymore. Neither did the two tickets to Hokkaido, or the booking at a hotel there for a week, or the rental of the ski equipment I had made that morning.

Everything was over.

Tears began rolling down my cheeks, gushing forth as I cursed myself. I had neglected Satoshi and I had lost him because of it. I should have spoken with him sooner, before he found someone else, before there was no turning back.

It was too late now...

The next two weeks were the worst of my life.

I didn’t have the strength to go anywhere, not even to the office, so I told my employees that I would be working from home for a while. I hardly ate or slept, I lost several kilos and deep, dark circles permanently formed under my eyes.

The pain of Satoshi’s betrayal was causing me to waste away.

Maybe if he had told me, instead of me having to see it with my own very eyes, things would’ve been different. I loved Satoshi so much that his absence might’ve hurt more than his betrayal. If he’d had the courage to tell me before, I probably would’ve been able to forgive him and move on, starting from scratch with him. But I had to discover things by myself, and see how Ninomiya touched him on our bed, where we slept together every night.

And yet, I missed him.  
The house was empty without him, lifeless, and the bed was so big and it only reminded me of so many things that I couldn’t stand it and ended up moving into the guest room. I still couldn’t sleep, but at least the images of Ninomiya straddling Satoshi, touching him and making him moan with pleasure, didn’t repeat over and over again in my mind.

I didn’t call him because I knew it would have been a mistake. If he had picked up the phone, I would have probably reproached him for all the pain he was causing me, and that was the last thing I wanted to do. Even though Satoshi had betrayed and hurt me, I didn’t want to hurt him.

It was best to let time pass and allow for things to calm down.

Maybe then, we could heal our wounds and go on living.

Even though it would be without one another.


	33. Nino

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

The winds were finally blowing in my favor.

The month and a half of being ignored by Ohno before Jun’s party, and the following weeks of waiting for his call had all been worth it. In the end, my waiting had been rewarded.

I had managed to meet him alone at his place on his birthday; I could give him the kabusecha I had promised to get him months ago, and most importantly: I had managed to make him lower his guard. Finally. After almost three months I could touch him, kiss him, feel him.

To be honest, it wasn’t my intention for Sakurai to catch us red-handed.

My original plan was to be with Ohno, in his bed, and for his boyfriend to find us together once we had finished. But it turned out that the idiot came home earlier than I expected and spoiled that part of my plan, the part in which I finally had Ohno again. It annoyed me, I won’t deny it, but I didn’t give it any more importance.

After all, Ohno would come to me very soon.

When I walked out of the room, making it clear to Sakurai that I was the winner, I went down the street and sat on one of the benches in front of the building. Everything had turned out as I wanted, but that didn’t mean I was made of stone. My legs were shaking because of the accumulated tension, first meeting Ohno and then dealing with Sakurai. I needed to sit down and smoke a cigarette to try and calm my nerves.

I was taking the second drag of my cigarette, when I saw Ohno shoot out of the main door to the building, in the same clothes he had been wearing before and weeping bitterly.

I wanted to follow him and comfort him. For me, seeing Ohno cry was the saddest image in the world, it tore me up inside. But I knew he would reject me at that moment. I knew that the situation was the worst for him. I knew how much he was suffering. And I knew he had probably tried to fight to stay by Sakurai’s side and the idiot had rejected him.

Which was good for me, but Ohno was sunk.

At that time, I knew he needed his space, as much as I wanted to run after him and never let him go. He needed time to organize his thoughts, get over the break up with Sakurai and to get used to the idea of living without him. Until that happened, it was best for me to keep my distance or I would end up causing an irreversible rejection in him.

I waited for two weeks, biting my nails.

I grabbed my phone several times during those two weeks and searched for Ohno’s number in my contacts. I wanted to hear his voice, know how he was, where he was, what he was doing, but I always wound up closing the phone and putting it back into my pocket. I had to use all my willpower to do so, but I knew that if I was patient, the end result would be the one I wanted.

Ohno would live with me.

I would be able to see him every day, every morning, in the afternoon and at night. I would be able to eat with him, go out to dinner with him, we would share all of our belongings, our secrets, and we would come to know each other so well that nobody would ever be able to separate us. I wouldn’t be like Sakurai the idiot. I wouldn’t neglect Ohno, I would never leave him alone, and I wouldn’t make him feel miserable. Unlike Sakurai, I would treat him so well that Ohno would be a happy man and would always wear the smile that seemed to make all the bad things of this world disappear.

We would be happy. Nobody would be able to stop us.

Every time I imagined how my conversation with him would go when I called him, I felt a tingling sensation in my stomach that made me giggle, causing a flush in my cheeks due to the embarrassment I felt at my own behavior. I looked like a teenager in love. At my age.

When exactly two weeks had passed since Ohno’s birthday, I mustered up some courage, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to call him. He had time to recover a little bit, though not completely, which made the situation perfect for me to spring into action.

"Moshi-moshi~", Ohno picked up on the first ring.

"Hi! Ohno?"

"Yes..."

"It’s Nino"

"I know...", his tone sounded lifeless.

It seemed as though he was still down in the dumps.

"How are you?"

"Well... I’ve been better..."

"Ah... yeah...", I didn’t know how to respond to that. It looked like handling this was going to be harder than I thought. "I haven’t seen you in a while, so I was wondering how things were going for you. What happened with Sakurai?"

There was a long silence. In fact, I thought the call had been cut off.

"Moshi-moshi?", I asked.

"He kicked me out..."

"Well... I’m sorry...", I said. I wasn’t lying, I really was sorry for Ohno, because I knew that had hurt him. "If I can help you in any way... you need only ask..."

"I don’t think there’s anything you can do, Nino"

"I know I can’t fix the situation between you and the...", I stopped myself right away. I had nearly said 'the idiot'. "... Sakurai...", I rectified. "But if you need someone who’ll listen to you, you know you can count on me"

"I appreciate the offer, but I don’t think it’s a good idea"

"Why not? The last time Sakurai stood you up, you called me, you came to my place and everything was all right, no? You had a good cry and took all the time you needed away from him"

"Nothing went right that day... I never should have called you..."

I sighed and ran a hand through my hair, mussing it.

"Have you found a place to live?", I asked, changing the topic.

"No"

"I can help you, if you want. I can look for places and go with you, if you don’t want to go by yourself"

"No, Nino... I don’t have the strength to look for anything..."

"Then you can stay at my place until you find something. I’d be more than happy to have you here with me, and I can take care of you, like I did that day"

"I’m living at my mom’s again, and I plan on staying here"

"Ohno... I can make you happy... Give me a chance... please... just one..."

"We can’t, Nino"

"Why not? If I even screw up half as many times as Sakurai, we can stop. I promise I won’t insist. I only want to make you happy, Ohno... please... If you aren’t happy with me, you can leave, I won’t chase you"

There was another long silence in which I thought I heard him sigh.

"You promised not to look for me after my birthday..."

"I know, but I was worried about you..."

"I appreciate that, really. But I still say the other day was the last time we’ll see each other, at least for now"

"No! Ohno, no... I love you!"

"I’m sorry..."

"Don’t kick me out of your life! Please, we can be friends. I promise I won’t touch you, even when we meet in private. Please, don’t do this to me, don’t push me away again"

Another long silence, in which I mussed my hair again, in desperation.

I was going crazy.

"I’m... on my way to Sho’s place... I’m going to pick up my things... and I don’t have much time until he comes home... I don’t want to bump into him... I don’t want to make him suffer even more..."

"I’ll call you later then and we speak calmly"

"No, Nino, it’s over. Don’t call me anymore"

"Ohno, listen..."

"I have to go..."

"Ohno!"

"Goodbye, Nino"

"NO!!"

The only reply I got was an intermittent beep.

He had hung up.

"DAMN IT!"

I threw the cellphone against the wall and yelled. I screamed with fury, helplessness, frustration, and pain.

Minutes earlier I had been daydreaming and fantasizing about my new life with him at my side. I had imagined him in my apartment, like that weekend months ago, sleeping on my futon, cooking in my kitchen, welcoming me when I came home and saying goodbye to me when I left. Wishing me a good morning, wishing me a good night, making all kind of decisions with me.

How could I have lost him?

I couldn’t believe it. It couldn’t be real. It wasn’t happening. After all those months of missing him, dying for just a touch of his skin, feeling all those emotions I hadn’t felt in forever, I couldn’t believe there was nothing left, that everything had vanished so easily in only a matter of seconds.

I gathered up the pieces of my broken cellphone that had scattered around the room, and assembled them with clumsy hands. I needed to call him and confirm that everything was a lie. It wasn’t happening. I had imagined it, I was sure.  
I dialed his number.

He had blocked my number again.

I sat on the floor and placed my cellphone next to me. It was real. Ohno had definitely kicked me out of his life, despite me always trying to treat him the best I knew how, and in spite of me trying everything to have him by my side.

I had never taken so many pains to hold onto anyone. I had never felt a person was as worthy as him. I had never felt the need to take care of and protect someone as I had felt with Ohno.

What had I done wrong?

I didn’t understand it. Even though he was no longer with Sakurai, he still didn’t want to see me. Why? Those days we spent together, he seemed happy to be by my side.

I picked up the phone and called Jun.

I couldn’t stand being there alone, moaning to myself.

"Yo, Nino~", my friend replied, on the other end of the line.

"Hello, Jun. How are you?"

"Fine, fine, doing great", his voice sounded cheerful. "I’m at home, watching something with Masaki. What are you up to?"

"I’m home alone, with nothing to do. I’m bored. Come over. We’ll have some beers and play a couple of games on the wii"

He was silent for a couple of seconds.

"Are you all right?", his tone had changed, he now sounded worried.

"Yeah, sure, why wouldn’t I be?", I pretended to laugh.

"I’m in the bedroom. Masaki can’t hear me in here, you can tell me"

"Nothing happened, I’m just bored. Come on, come over"

He remained silent again, extending it a little more than the first time.

"I’ll be there in half an hour"

"OK, I’ll order pizza"

I sighed when I hung up.

A few minutes later I called the pizzeria, and a little more than half an hour later, Jun was at my door, examining me with a raised eyebrow.

"Come in", I said entering the apartment myself and leaving the door open.

He followed after me and sat down beside me on the floor, while I handed him one of the controllers and offered him a beer. Cold and without a glass.

"I ordered three cheese and Hawaiian"

"I don’t like pineapple"

"Then you can eat the other one"

I turned on the console to start the game, but Jun got up, turned off the TV and stood right in front of me.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell’s going on?"

I sighed.

Jun knew me too well.

Knowing I couldn’t keep up the charade, I lowered my head because I wasn’t able to control a tear that had escaped and begun to roll down my cheek.

I heard Jun sigh. I heard his steps getting closer. And I felt his arms warmly wrap around me.

"What the hell were you thinking when you fell for him?", he clicked his tongue, but his tone was gentle and comforting.

I cried in silence for several minutes in Jun’s arms, like a little child.

He stroked my hair and whispered encouraging words, sweet sentences soaked in the warmth that only a true friend can bring, but nothing could comfort me. My heart ached, and every time I thought about how I had to keep on living without Ohno, without his gentleness, without his honesty, without his fragility, I felt like nothing made sense.

I had nothing to fight for anymore.


	34. Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

That morning, I made a decision.

Since the day Sho had found me with Nino in our bed and kicked me out, I hadn’t had any contact with him. Somehow, I held onto the hope that our relationship could be fixed, and that he would call to meet me after a few days and, at least, we could speak calmly about everything.

He never called, nor did he send any signs of being alive.

I went back to my mother’s house that same night he threw me out and I spent two long weeks, with their seven days, each one with its twenty-four hours, lamenting myself, without the strength to do anything or speak with anyone. I knew I had to find somewhere else to live and go back to Sho’s place to pick up my things, but I didn’t feel confident enough to do it.

I went every afternoon to the kissaten like a robot, I wasn’t even aware of the direction in which my feet walked. It was as if someone had set me on autopilot. I served coffee, drinks, different dishes, and gave my customers my usual smile, now more feigned than ever, and then I went home, skipped dinner, slept for more than ten hours, woke up in the morning to help my mother, ate lunch, and went back to work again.

It was always the same routine.

I even asked my boss to let me work on my two days off. I found it hard to leave home, but I knew that if I didn’t go out for at least a few hours, it would be worse. My head refused to stop thinking about Sho. Day and night, every minute, every second I was awake. Images of my birthday came to my mind over and over again; punishing me with Sho’s pained expression when he discovered that I had betrayed him.

I should have told him.

When I returned home from that weekend at Nino’s place, before going to Kasumigaura, I should have faced what I’d done, even if it would mean destroying the happiness Sho felt then with my return. After all, it wasn’t real happiness. He didn’t know what had happened.

I had been unfair, a coward, and disloyal.

I couldn’t blame Sho for kicking me out, I deserved it. Even though I had felt lonely for all the time he spent at the company, taking refuge in Nino’s arms had been the worst decision I could have ever made. I had opened Pandora’s box all by myself. Now I couldn’t complain about how my own actions were taking their toll on me.

Though it still didn’t hurt any less.

I knew it was unfair and selfish, but I was still wishing with all my strength that Sho would forgive me. Waking up one day and realizing that it had all been a bad dream, that I could go back to the apartment we had shared for the past two years. I wanted it so badly. Even though I knew I didn’t have the right to expect anything from him. I wasn’t even in a position to think about going back to him after what I had done... but I loved him so much...

The desire to feel him again was stronger than any reason. I wanted to sleep by his side again, go to bed with him every night and see his face the moment I opened my eyes. Have breakfast with him, even though he always had to leave in a hurry afterwards, putting his jacket on, toast in hand. I wanted to feel his lips on mine, stroke his hair, rest my head on his shoulder as we watched TV, see his excited face when we had pizza for lunch, listen to him talk endlessly about the things he liked, hear how things were going in his company, listen to his laughter.

I needed him so badly, it hurt.

And to think about living without him, made me feel suffocated.

I didn’t want to go back to that place because I was afraid to meet him. Not for me, I had already accepted that I had behaved like a despicable human being and was more than resigned to the fact that I would have to carry it on my conscience forever. It was for him. I didn’t want to make him suffer more. I didn’t want him to see me picking up my things from his apartment because it would mean the end of "us", and I knew that, deep down, even though he wasn’t able to live with me because he felt betrayed, Sho had not stopped loving me. Seeing everything had finally come to an end would break him far more than it would break me.

But I had to do it.

I had bought some basic necessities for that couple of weeks, but I couldn’t prolong the situation. I had to pick up my things and close that chapter of my life as soon as possible, so that both of us could start over and rebuild our lives.

That morning, I assumed Sho would have gone back to work.

I figured he had chosen to work from home the first days, but he wouldn’t bear much longer without going to the company. I knew him, and I knew he wouldn’t be able to neglect it, even though he was going through a difficult time in his personal life. To make sure he wasn’t home, I rang his phone. Twice.

No one answered.

It was my chance. I had a green light to get into the apartment without having to meet him, and while I was there I could leave my keys as well. It didn’t make sense for me to keep them anymore.

When I opened the door and walked in, my heart sank.

There were so many memories in that place. Good and bad. Happy and not so-happy. Those walls were soaked with tears, excitement, dreams, hopes, future plans, laughter and love. Above all, a lot of love. We had loved each other so much that now, looking back, I didn’t understand why I hadn’t waited for him that day. As much as it hurt, I should have stayed home, instead of calling Nino.

Tears began rolling down my cheeks non-stop as I gathered my things from the bathroom, living room, kitchen and bedroom, and little by little I put them into my suitcase and carry-on, the one I used to use when we went to Kasumigaura. Then I gathered my fishing gear, which I carefully placed together with the rest of my belongings, and finally all that was left were the things on the bedside table.

There weren’t many, one hand was enough to grab everything, but when I picked up my blue fish-shaped clock, something told me not to take it. I had bought it with Sho when I first moved into his place, to decorate my side of the bedroom, and I felt that its place was there, with Sho. Even if he and I were to go our separate ways.

I closed my suitcase and my carry-on, brought them to the door, and then went into the living room. I sat down on the couch, left my fish-shaped clock on the table and grabbed a pen and a piece of paper from nearby, as tears kept running down my cheeks.

 

_Sho-san,_

Forgive me for not telling you I was coming here today. I didn’t want you to suffer any more than you already have.

I know that, deep down, I’m being a coward once again, and the real reason for not saying anything to you is probably because I don’t want to see you suffer so I won’t have to suffer myself. Forgive me. I don’t know how to handle this situation. I don’t know how to handle my own feelings.

I know I hurt you beyond repair. I failed you as a boyfriend, as a partner, and a friend. I broke the most important pillar between us: the trust we had in each other. If I could go back in time, I would, and I wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. But it’s too late.

I’ve been unfaithful to you. When you didn’t deserve it.

I’m not going to ask you to forgive my betrayal because, honestly, I don’t even know if I can forgive myself. But I want you to keep my clock. Please. I only ask that you keep it, and never forget me. Despite all the pain, we have loved each other like not many other people from this world have, and I think that’s something neither of us should ever forget.

It might be hard for you to believe, but you were everything to me.

I will always keep you in my heart,

Satoshi

 

I folded the piece of paper in half and wiped off the tears the best I could. Then I placed my clock on top of it, together with my keys, and sighed. That was my final goodbye.

Goodbye to that clock, to that place...

... and goodbye to Sho.

I got up from the couch and walked to the front door.

While I was grabbing my carry-on and my suitcase, I heard a click and saw the handle of the door turn in front of my eyes.

My heart began to beat so fast that I was certain it was going to pop out of my chest as I looked up and saw, standing frozen under the doorframe, with his eyes wide open, Sho.

"Satoshi...", he whispered.

His appearance was beyond words.

He was thin and exhausted. He was dressed up in any which way, he was unshaven and I’d say he hadn’t even combed his hair that morning. My heart sank when I saw the deep, dark circles under his eyes, and the bags that had formed there, obviously from a lack of sleep.

I felt like crying.

Sho was devastated. Because of me.

I lowered my head, with my heart broken in a million pieces, fighting back the tears the best I could, and pulled myself together.

"I just came... to pick up my things...", I managed to murmur.

I had a lump in my throat that wouldn’t let me speak, I don’t even know how I managed to pronounce the words as I made a small bow and tried to maneuver past him to walk out of the apartment.

He grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Wait...", he said. "Since you’re here... let’s talk..."

I looked at him through bleary eyes.

"Sho... I..."

"I know", he interrupted me. "You don’t need to say it. I know you regret it... but there are things I need to know... even if... ... they hurt..."

I nodded.

He let go of my arm and closed the door as I left my luggage by the door. I followed him to the living room, where we sat down, facing each other, and he stared at me. It wasn’t an accusatory look. It was a sad, dull look, reflecting just how much he was suffering.

I wanted to bury myself right there when his eyes stopped looking at me and fixed themselves on the note on the table, under the clock and my keys. Sho stretched out his arm, carefully moved the two items aside and read what I had written minutes earlier, thinking it would be the last time I’d sit on that couch.

When he finished reading, he closed the note and put it back on the table.

"You were everything to me as well...", he said, fixing on me a gaze that shot through me as if bullets. "What was he to you?"

I swallowed hard.

I wasn’t ready to talk about Nino yet.

I lowered my head, once again, and bit my lower lip.


	35. Sho

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

It wasn’t as if I had eaten a lot those days, but I had run out of tea.

After two weeks of not having left the house, I was beginning to run out of the most basic food items. First, it was the rice, then the soy sauce, then the chicken I had in the freezer, and finally, tea. I could make it without everything else, but not without tea. Since I couldn’t sleep, I wanted to be able to have the energy to do some simple tasks at least.

Among other reasons, I hadn’t wanted to go down the supermarket so I wouldn’t run into Ninomiya, so I was thankful he wasn’t working that morning. If he had been there and I’d happened to meet him, I’m not sure how I would have reacted. Usually, I’m a peaceful person, but I was positive that guy had been chasing Satoshi until he got what he wanted, and it made my blood boil.

But Satoshi wasn’t exactly free of guilt either.

It takes two to tango.

I did the shopping as quickly as I could, asked for it to be delivered and left. Although it was midmorning, not the usual time to switch shifts, I didn’t want to tempt fate and have Ninomiya appear any moment.

Moreover, with my current appearance, I didn’t want to run the risk of being seen by someone from my company while I was on the street.

If I had bumped into one of my clients, they might not even have recognized me with my tracksuit pants, a t-shirt and a mess of tangled hair. I hadn’t even bothered to comb it. After all, with my dark circles and the bags under my eyes, I wouldn’t be chatted up by anyone anyway. Plus it’s not like I was really in the mood for it either.

When I opened the door to my place, the last thing I expected to see was Satoshi.

He was at the entrance, grabbing his suitcase and carry-on. It looked like he had been picking up his things and was about to leave.

But I didn’t care.

When I saw him, something moved inside me, and though he murmured something about taking his things and made an attempt to leave, my hand moved instinctively and grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait...", I said. "Since you’re here... let’s talk..."

He turned around and looked at me. He was about to cry.

"Sho... I..."

It was his guilty tone. But an apology wasn’t what I needed to hear.

I knew Satoshi well enough to know he regretted his betrayal from the start, even before I knew about it, and apologizing was in his nature, even when he knew that words were not enough in this kind of situation. But Satoshi was like that.

"I know", I interrupted him, before he could go on. "You don’t need to say it. I know you regret it... but there are things I need to know... even if... ... they hurt..."

He nodded almost immediately.

He left his luggage as I let go of his arm and closed the door, then without saying a word, he followed me to the living room, where we both sat down, with some space between us, and I watched how he cowered on the couch under my gaze.

I was about to begin asking questions, but I realized that I might’ve been condemning him with my eyes, not meaning to, so I glanced elsewhere so he wouldn’t feel as though he was being judged. But then, something prevented me from speaking: on the table, under Satoshi’s blue fish-shaped clock and his set of keys, there was a folded piece of paper, with the kanji of my name easily readable, in large script.

I stretched out my hand, grabbed the note without asking what it was, and read it.

 

_Sho-san... I didn’t want you to suffer any more... I’m being a coward once again..._

I don’t know how to handle this situation. I don’t know how to handle my feelings...

I broke the most important pillar between us: the trust we had in each other... I’ve been unfaithful to you...

I’m not going to ask you to forgive my betrayal...

I want you to keep my clock... never forget me...

You were everything to me...

 

Every one of his words tore at a piece of my soul.

I closed the note and set it back on the table. And then I exploded.

"You were everything to me as well...", I said, looking at him. "What was he to you?"

Satoshi remained silent, his head lowered, and biting at his lower lip.

"What did he mean to you, Satoshi?", I insisted.

He didn’t want to speak, that much was clear, but I needed answers or I would never be able to get over it.

"Satoshi... please... I need you to tell me...", I pleaded with my voice and my eyes. "I need you to give me an answer to all these questions that are driving me crazy... please..."

He shifted on the couch and began fiddling with the hem of his t-shirt.

"I was... never in love with Nino... if that’s what you want to know", he paused. "He healed me of my loneliness... when you weren’t by my side... and thanks to him... ... I could go on with our relationship... despite the unbearable feeling of guilt..."

Nino. He even called him by a nickname. As I suspected, the day I found them in our bed hadn’t been the first time they had been together.

"How long had you been seeing each other?"

"Sho... it’s not what you think... we didn’t see each other regularly..."

"How was it, then?"

"I spent two days at his place... then we had another brief encounter... then the party came... and I didn’t see him again until that day he came to deliver the shopping and you were alone with him at home... You already know how the last meeting went..."

Satoshi looked embarrassed, but I needed to continue asking. I couldn’t stop. I needed to know everything.

"You spent two days at his place?"

He nodded slowly.

"When?"

"That weekend we were going to go to Kasumigaura... and you fell asleep at the office... I felt terribly lonely... and I called him"

"So you weren’t in a hotel. How did you get his number?"

"He stuck it... on that curry package he gave to me..."

"It’s been almost six months of this..."

"I wasn’t with him for six months!", he exclaimed, looking up, showing his eyes filled with tears. "They were only two specific encounters, and then... then... I don’t even know what happened... He was everywhere... I didn’t look for him since that second encounter!"

"When was this second meeting?"

"After our week of vacation at the lake..."

"You say you didn’t look for him after the second encounter and that it was you who called him the first time. Then who sought out whom that second time?"

"Me...", tears had started to make their way down his cheeks. "I looked for him... after he left us that bag... with the things to make curry..."

"Everything makes sense now. That weekend, you weren’t in a hotel, you were with him, that’s why you didn’t want to go to Kasumigaura despite my explaining to you that I had fallen asleep, and even though we still had time to go. Then that bag of ingredients we received from some mystery man..."

"I’m sorry... ... I’m very sorry..."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling like the world’s biggest idiot.

Everything fit perfectly. How could I have not realized it sooner?

"And what about Matsumoto’s party?"

"I didn’t look for him that day. I had blocked his phone number and had been ignoring him for nearly two months. Do you remember how I asked you to start going to the supermarket with me at night, when you were back from work? It was to avoid meeting him alone... I was trying to cut any kind of relationship I might have with him, even as a customer..."

"Then what happened when he dragged you out of the living room?"

"We talked, I told him we couldn’t see each other... and... he kissed me... but that’s all, nothing else happened... it was only a short kiss, which he gave to me..."

I sighed and clenched my fists.

Ninomiya had done everything blatantly, right in front of my eyes.

"What happened after that? You say you didn’t see him until the day he came to deliver the groceries. I remember that day you said you had forgotten to buy cigarettes and went down to the street with him. I guess the thing about the cigarettes was a lie as well, just like the hotel"

"No, the thing about the cigarettes wasn’t a lie. But... it’s true... I took the opportunity to speak with him..."

"To see him, you mean. On your birthday, no less"

"No, Sho... it wasn’t like that...", he was clearly desperate. "I tried to tell him I didn’t want to see him anymore... believe me, please... even though I know this can’t save our relationship, I promise you I’m telling the truth... He was the one who wanted for us to meet. I only agreed to it because I knew he wouldn’t stop looking for me if I didn’t"

"And you agreed to...?", I bit my lower lip in a gesture of anger.

"No", he replied, understanding what I had tried to say, even though the words hadn’t left my mouth. "The sex... just happened..."

I slammed the table with my fist.

"Just happened?! In our bed?!"

"We were here, in the living room... I wasn’t aware he was taking me to the bedroom... until we were already there... ... I got carried away..."

"For God’s sake, Satoshi... in our bed..."

"I know... I repeat it to myself every single day..."

I kept silent for a few minutes, trying to control all the anger and pain that were fighting to be released in screams. Because I knew yelling at that moment wouldn’t solve anything, and it would only make the two of us feel even more miserable.

Besides, Satoshi was already crying inconsolably. There was no need to destroy him further. I didn’t have to punish him with my words or my actions because he was already punishing himself. As he had said in his note, he couldn’t forgive himself for what he’d done.

"Do you... have feelings for him?", I asked, somewhat more calmed down.

"No, of course not!", he replied immediately. "I talked to him a while ago and made it clear that my birthday was our last meeting. I don’t want to see or speak to him ever again, even if you and I can’t be together"

I kept silent.

He was right, we couldn’t be together. We had hurt each other too much.

"Satoshi... I... can understand how I have my own share of blame in this whole affair. I neglected you for a long time, you felt lonely and desperate, and took refuge in him"

"You don’t have to understand. I know it wasn’t the right decision and that I don’t have any possible excuse"

"What I want to say is that... even if I can understand it... I still feel betrayed. I don’t trust you, and when trust is broken, we can’t keep being together. I would become paranoid, thinking God knows what about you, even if you didn’t actually do anything, and I would make you unhappy with my constant accusations and reproaches"

"If I‘m honest... and even though it hurts me... I think you’re right", he replied. "You don’t trust me anymore, and I don’t want to go back to the lifestyle we had. I think the best thing for both of us is that... each of us has his own life..."

Satoshi had stopped crying at some point, but at that moment, the tears began to relentlessly fall down his cheeks once again. And I couldn’t control myself. I stood up and held him tightly in my arms, unable to hold back my own tears.

It was a goodbye.

As much as Satoshi and I loved each other, we couldn’t continue hurting each other the way we had.

I walked him to the front door and watched him leave, with his suitcase and his carry-on, with his head lowered, sobbing and tears rolling down his cheeks every now and then.

And when I closed the door, the world fell apart.

We had decided we would go on our own separate ways. But it hurt.

It hurt like the deepest of wounds.


	36. Sho / Ohno

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ohno and Sho have been happily living together for two years now. Nino is a freshman in the local supermarket and notices that maybe Ohno and Sho's relationship is not that flawless and happy...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Author:** [](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/profile)[**arimi_skywalker**](http://arimi-skywalker.livejournal.com/) ([sutekihanashi](https://twitter.com/sutekihanashi))  
>  __Disclaimer : fanFICTION (extra emphasis on the fiction). None of this is based in anything even resembling fact except for, like, their names. Do not know, don't presume to know. Not owning. Not meant to offend. Just fangirling.  
>  A/N: Thanks to my de _ars_[](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/profile)[ **lauchan**](http://lauchan.livejournal.com/) and [](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/profile)[](http://furokugal.livejournal.com/)**furokugal** for checking and correcting this text for me. I suck at expressing myself in english ^^;;
> 
> If you like this, you're welcome to check out my other fics :)

  
**SHO**  


* * *

 

_One year later..._

I rushed into the restaurant and saw Aiba-chan’s hand raised, waving at me among the crowd.

I smiled and hurried to his table, where he was sitting with his boyfriend.

"We ordered katsudon for three", my friend announced with his usual bright smile as I took a seat. "I hope you don’t mind"

I shook my head, letting him know that was alright.

"Sorry I’m late", I said, with a little bow. "I had to clean the classroom with the kids, and then one of my students’ mother wanted to speak about Thursday’s field trip"

"You’re going on a field trip?", Aiba-chan looked excited.

"Yeah, and I’m a little nervous to be honest. I’m going along with the homeroom teacher, but it’s my first time taking the kids out. I’m afraid two eyes won’t be enough to watch over them"

"Kids are unpredictable", Matsumoto laughed. "Where are you taking them?"

I looked at them in silence for several seconds.

"You won’t believe it. They’re sending us to Kasumigaura"

"Eh? Kasumigaura?", Aiba-chan asked. "Isn’t that the place with the lake...?"

I nodded.

"The same place I used to visit with Satoshi"

"Well..."

"Can’t you ask someone to go instead of you?", Matsumoto asked.

"No, it’s fine. It’s been a year since Satoshi and I broke up, I’m over it"

"Are you sure, Sho-chan?", my friend’s face expressed concern. "Sometimes, when you think I don’t see you, you look distracted and make the saddest face in the world. I’m not in your head, but I’d swear in those moments, you think about Ohno"

The waiter brought three bowls of katsudon.

"Sometimes I think about him, I won’t deny it", I said picking up my chopsticks. "But it’s because there are things around me that remind me of the moments we spent together"

"It’s only natural", Matsumoto said. "You were together for almost three years"

"Exactly. It’s inevitable that memories come to my mind", I looked at Aiba-chan. "But I’m fine, really. Since I closed down the company, my life has made a U-turn and I’ve finally started enjoying myself"

"To be honest, you do look more relaxed", Matsumoto replied.

"Yes", Aiba-chan said. "Now you smile more often, and you have lots of free time. It’s so nice to be able to call and meet you for lunch or a drink without having to plan it more than a week in advance", he laughed.

I couldn’t help but laugh with him. Looking back, the Sho I was one year ago wasn’t really happy.

I thought I had everything: my own company, which had been my dream since I was a kid, a comfortable apartment with an elegant style, and a boyfriend I adored. But I was wrong.

When Satoshi and I decided to go our separate ways, I realized that our happiness hadn’t been real. Until that day, I had thought we were a practically perfect couple, that we complemented and understood one another with just a look, but I realized Satoshi had been pretending to be happy in that apartment, carrying on that kind of life. That’s how we ended up the way we did, hurting each other so much.

Without him in my life, I realized that my apartment was too big for just one person, and that it was decorated in a completely impersonal style, all in neutral natural colors, with the intention of being a relaxing place and suited to the taste of anyone who entered. Satoshi must have felt caged inside, like I was now feeling.

My company was perhaps the only good thing I had left, but I realized that it was eating up all of my time and it began to cause me so much stress that at times I felt suffocated. Now that Satoshi wasn’t waiting for me at home, helping me to be able breathe again, I knew I couldn’t keep on living like that. My childhood dream was causing me to waste away.

One day, while speaking with Aiba-chan, I decided to change everything in my life, drastically.

I closed down the company and began working as an English teacher. I started out giving private lessons from home, to children of all ages, even some college students, and I realized the ones who made me enjoy teaching the most were the little ones. Teaching them was a comforting activity, it really filled me, and hours seemed to fly by.

I then decided to try my luck in the school system, and despite having limited experience as a teacher, a center in the south of Tokyo was willing to give me a chance, and that was where I had been working for the past five months.

I had moved out of my old house. Firstly, because the place overwhelmed me, with all that open space and all the memories of my relationship with Satoshi, and secondly, because I didn’t make as much money as I had had with the company. I couldn’t afford a luxury apartment like that anymore.

I had to change my lifestyle, but I did it happily.

Now I was the master of my time and I had even started paying attention to a hobby I had almost forgotten about: writing lyrics. I never wanted to make a professional living out of it, but it was a way to relax when the world became too much for me. I was thankful to have the time for it again.

"Ne, Sho~", Aiba-chan brought me back to reality. "Why don’t you call him? Ohno, I mean"

I thought about it for a moment.

"It wouldn’t make any sense...", I finally said.

"Why not? I think he’d like to see you..."

"After a year? If I call him up just to see how he’s doing, don’t you think he’ll wonder why it took me a year to do it? Besides, I’m sure he’s already settled into his new life. I don’t want to interfere"

"But, Sho, you’ve changed a lot... maybe... you two can be together again..."

"We decided to go separate ways a year ago, we both agreed on it. I’m not going to call him after all this time, show off my new life and ask him to get back together. That makes no sense whatsoever"

"Maybe he’d like to see how you’ve changed", Matsumoto said. "One of the reasons that led you two to end you relationship was the kind of life you had, no?"

"Yes, but that was some time ago. I don’t think either of us feels the same now"

"Are you sure?", Matsumoto raised an eyebrow.

I sighed.

"I don’t think about him... in that way anymore..."

Aiba-chan kept trying to convince me that I should call Satoshi, but I didn’t think it was a good idea. It would only cause an awkward moment that most likely neither of us would know how to deal with. After all, what was once between us hadn’t been just any kind of relationship, it had been a special bond that we had created since the first time we met, and it took both of us tearing out a part of our hearts to break it.

Matsumoto stood up at some point in the conversation, saying he had to make a call. When he came back, a few minutes later, he helped Aiba-chan in updating me on their lives.

Truth is Matsumoto was a good guy. At the beginning, he caused me respect and scared me a bit, due to his deep gaze and outward appearance, so attractive and stylish, but I came to know him with time, and I had soon discovered a completely different

Matsumoto. He had a huge heart and was friend to his friends, in addition to being a very loyal person and a great conversationalist. I was glad Aiba-chan had found someone like him.

When we finished the katsudon, we said goodbye. We all had to work the next day, so we arranged to meet over the weekend, go to an izakaya for some drinks, and then to the karaoke to get rid of all the stress of the week. I promised I would tell them about my experience on my first field trip with my full of five year olds classroom.

It would be fun, though it caused me some anxiety at the same time.

It was a huge responsibility.

When Thursday came, I understood why Kasumigaura had been the chosen location for the field trip. It turned out they had opened a farm to breed ranchuu, the so-called 'King of the Goldfish'. The creatures were small and colorful, so the school had thought it would be a good idea to take the kids there, especially since ranchuu are not exactly a common goldfish. Not all children in Japan have the chance to see them.

We arrived at the lake around nine in the morning and had the kids form a line to hand out an onigiri and bottle of water to each one of them. We then divided them into two groups, to make it easier to watch them all, and took them to the pavilion where the fish ponds were located.

Fish had never caught my attention before, but seeing all those little colorful creatures, swimming around in the water was funny; I’d say it was even beautiful.

And the children were absolutely delighted.

They ran around from one pond to another, pointing at the ranchuu of different sizes and colors, choosing the ones they liked best, speaking about their egg-shaped bodies or commenting on the strange shape of their tiny heads.

After the first two hours, in which I didn’t take my eyes off my group of ten kids, scared of losing one of them, I began to relax a little. I realized it was not possible to lose a child in a place that was closed off and so small. They didn’t have a place for the kids to run off and hide or get distracted.

It was relief the farm was so well organized.

At around one, we gathered up the two groups and put them in a line again for them to follow us to the restaurant, where we would eat some tasty omuraisu. However, when we got there and took a count of the children, we realized there were only nineteen. A child was missing, or better said, a little girl: Shiori-chan.

And she was part of my group.

I asked the teacher who had accompanied me to take care of my group while I went back to the pavilion, to look for Shiori. She had to be there or at the lake, there was no other place she could have gone.

When I entered the pavilion, I found her right away. She was down one of the halls crying, probably scared because she couldn’t find us or her classmates.

I immediately went near her.

"Shiori-chan!", I called out. "So you were here, thank goodness"

"Sensei~", she sobbed, holding onto my neck when I crouched down.

"Don’t be scared, it’s all right", I took her in my arms and looked at her with a smile. "Let’s go have some yummy omuraisu, OK? I know it’s your favorite"

She nodded and pointed to the other end of the hall.

"That oniisan was looking at me. I was scared"

I looked at the weirdo, ready to tell him that staring at little girls was wrong, but I froze when I saw a face I knew so well.

Satoshi. 

 

  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

 

 

**OHNO**

* * *

 

My ringtone startled me.

I gruffly grabbed my cellphone and put it to my ear without bothering to look at the screen.

"Moshi-moshi~", I answered, sucking up the drop of blood that was oozing out of the finger I had just pricked with the fishing hook I was preparing.

"Did you go to the lake?", Nino’s voice reached me from the other end of the line.

"Yeah, I arrived a while ago. I was preparing my fishing gear", I replied, looking at my finger. "And I’ve just pierced myself with a hook"

Nino laughed, amused.

"Have you seen those fish yet?"

"Those fish...", I repeated, making fun of his way of speaking, as I grabbed a band-aid and wrapped it around my finger. "They’re called ranchuu"

"Bah, whatever. Those fat ugly fish"

"What do you mean by ugly? They’re cute!"

"Well, you’ve always had a bad taste. You were with Sakurai", he laughed.

"That’s a low blow"

"Then don’t make fun of me for not knowing the name of those manchuu"

"Ranchuu", I laughed.

"Whatever"

"How did you know they opened a ranchuu farm out here?"

"I saw it on some boring TV program"

"I see", I remained silent for a moment. "And then you remembered me when you saw the 'manchuu', no?", I couldn’t help laughing again.

"OK. Enough with that"

"Gomen, gomen~"

"I’m not good with names, you know"

"You’re right. You still call your boyfriend 'Park', after four months of being together"

"Park, Lee, Kim, who cares? They’re all Korean", he giggled.

"Oi~ Was that a giggle?"

"What giggle? I didn’t hear anything"

"Who would have thought? You’re head-over-heels in love, Nino"

"Well, well... it’s not that much..."

He laughed, full of life.

After having that conversation a year ago, in which Nino asked me to come live with him and I cut off our relationship, I blocked his phone number for several months, until I was able to digest everything that had happened and I was prepared to have a normal friendship with him.

I sent him a long e-mail, apologizing, and explaining my reasons for having blocked his number again. I told him my phone number was still the same and that if he was ready to start over from scratch as well, he shouldn’t hesitate to call me or contact me some other way. I even sent him my mom’s address, where I was still living, just in case he preferred to go there directly.

He took two or three months to show any signs of life.

He called me and, when I picked up, neither of us asked for explanations. We just talked, naturally, like two friends who had never stopped seeing each other.

We updated one another on our respective lives and he told me he had called because he wanted to tell me how things were going for him. He had begun working as a video game programmer for a company that had workers of all nationalities, because their games were sold overseas and in several different languages, and it was there where he had met a Korean by the name of Kwon Jae Min.

According to Nino, it had been love at first sight.

It was now five months since that conversation, and four since Nino and Jae had officially started going out, though they had been flirting with each other since the very first day they’d met. And Nino was happy. He was now bursting with energy and a zest of life, and that made me feel good as well.

My life was still the same; boring, with my job at the kissaten, so having someone close to me who was like a breath of fresh air, as Nino was, was something I appreciated.

"No, really", I said. "I’m glad you’re finally happy"

"I am. Very much", he paused. "But don’t tell Jae, he’ll believe it"

I cracked up.

He was still the same Nino.

"You’ll never change"

"It’s part of my charm"

"Come on, go sweet-talk to your Jae, maybe you’ll get lucky and he’ll cook you some Korean food"

"Uhm... I can think of something better to eat...", his tone was suggestive.

"Eh?", I thought for a moment. "Oh, God! Nino, you’re the worst", I laughed.

He laughed with me, on the other end of the line.

"Well, I’ll leave you. I’m going to see if I can get myself something Korean"

"OK, but don’t tell me later, please"

"Ja~~"

I hung up and put my phone back in my pocket. Then I grabbed the two fishing rods I had decided to take with me, together with the rest of my gear, and went down to the lake, where I placed my chair and set up my things. This was the typical way of doing things in Kasumigaura: arrive, save a spot and leave, usually to grab some food and drinks for the rest of the day, since the idea was to spend it fishing there.

It was a Thursday, but I had the day off and Nino had called me a few days before, saying he heard they had opened a farm for ranchuu, those adorable little fish.

After setting up my gear beside the lake, I went straight to see them.

There were several square ponds aligned in a row inside a large pavilion, with hallways dividing the rows so people could walk in between them. The caretakers were around, feeding the ranchuu, cleaning the ponds and, above all, watching to make sure none of the children stuck their hands inside of the ponds and took the ranchuu out of the water.

I walked through the halls of the pavilion, looking at all the fish of various colors, fascinated by the graceful movement of their fins, but the ones that most caught my attention were the chocolate colored variety. I didn’t know ranchuu even existed in that color.

I stopped and bent over to watch them more closely.

"So beautiful...", I whispered.

While I was there, captivated by the beauty of those wonderful creatures, the sudden crying of a little girl distracted me and I turned around in her direction.

She was in the middle of the hallway, almost at my side, crying her eyes out. Now, I’m not very good with kids, but she seemed to be lost. I looked around and didn’t see anyone who appeared to know the girl, so I stood up and took a step forward, ready to go over and help her, but I stopped short when someone called out to her.

"Shiori-chan! So you were here, thank goodness"

My eyes widened and I froze where I stood.

A few steps from me, Sho was crouched in front of that little girl, checking to make sure she was all right.

"Sensei~", she sobbed holding onto his neck.

Sensei...

"Don’t be scared, it’s all right", he said with a smile, taking her in his arms. "Let’s go have some yummy omuraisu, OK? I know it’s your favorite"

The girl nodded and then pointed in my direction.

"That oniisan was looking at me. I was scared"

At that moment, my heart stopped.

Sho looked at me and his eyes widened in surprise. I bowed, as a greeting, still holding my breath.

I had imagined a million times what my conversation with Sho might be like if I had ever met him again or he happened to call me, but reality was completely different. I couldn’t think. I couldn’t speak. I could only wait there, for what seemed like an eternity, until he approached me, with the girl still in his arms.

"Satoshi...", he said.

"Hello...", I replied, looking down at the floor.

I felt my cheeks turning red as I spoke.

"What are you doing here?", he asked.

"I came... to see the ranchuu...", I said, pointing to the pond at my side. "And you?"

"I also came to see the ranchuu... well, sort of...", he smiled.

I nodded. I didn’t know what to say.

"How are you?", he asked.

"Fine, I guess", I looked at him. "How are you?"

"I’m fine", he smiled. "Look, this is Shiori-chan", he looked at the girl. "Shiori-chan, say 'hello' to Ohno-san"

"Hello, Ohno-san", the girl replied, hiding against Sho’s neck.

"She’s shy", he said, looking at me again, still smiling.

"I see..."

"Ohno-san didn’t want to hurt you, Shiori-chan. He was only trying to help"

The girl kept her face hidden, without saying a word.

"She’s still a little scared", Sho said. "It’s her first time out with the class and the poor thing got lost"

"I understand. I always got lost on school trips and had a hard time getting over it"

Sho laughed. I looked at him, confused.

"What did I say?", I asked.

"Nothing", he replied, shaking his head. "I was just thinking that you haven’t changed a bit"

I could feel myself blushing again.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Good, of course"

I looked at him for several seconds.

"You, on the other hand, look quiet different", I said.

"Is that good or bad?", he laughed.

"You look happy and stress-free, so that’s good, I guess"

"I changed jobs", he said. "I sold the company about ten months ago and started teaching English. Now I work at a school, with children three to five years old. My life changed dramatically"

Truth was he didn’t look like the same Sho I had live with for almost three years.

Part of me was glad to see him so happy and exultant, but another part was regretting this change hadn’t happened while we were together. If it had, things would’ve been different between us.

"I’m glad you were able to give up your dream to be happy", I smiled.

At that moment, Shiori-chan’s stomach made a noise. Sho looked at her and laughed.

"You’re hungry, aren’t you? We’ll have lunch in a moment", he looked at me. "I have to go. Shiori is hungry and I left the other teacher with a group of nineteen five year olds"

I nodded.

I understood. However, I didn’t want him to leave.

"Do you still have the same phone number?", he asked.

After a year, it seemed he could still read my mind.

I smiled.

"I didn’t change it"

"Can I call you? There’s something I’d like you to see"

"Yeah, of course. I would love to see you again... and talk a little more..."

"All right then", he nodded. "I’ll call you"

"OK"

He smiled at me and turned to walk out of the pavilion.

"Sho!", I called to him. My heart started beating faster when he turned around to face me. "I’m glad to see you... very much..."

"I’m glad to see you too", he replied with a new smile, only this time it was wider, and I’d swear his eyes sparkled.

The afternoon of the next day, he called to ask if I was free on Sunday. I, of course, said yes, and we agreed to have lunch together.

We’d meet at twelve at Ikebukuro Station.

When Sunday came, I took the train and arrived fifteen minutes early for my date with Sho. However, when I walked out of the station, he was already there, waiting beside his car.

"Good morning", he said when I approached him.

"You’re early"

"Well, I didn’t want to keep you waiting", he smiled. "Get in"

We both got into the car and he started the engine.

"Where are we going?", I asked.

"To Akabane"

"What’s in Akabane?"

"You’ll see"

Along the way, we updated each other on what we had been doing for the past year, though it was Sho doing most of the talking. My life hadn’t changed at all, while his was completely different.

I was becoming envious of everyone else changing their lives except me.

When we got to Akabane, Sho parked the car on a narrow one-way street, and hopped out. I hopped out as well and followed him to the door of a building that looked like so many others in Tokyo. We entered and went up some stairs to the first floor, where Sho opened a door marked with the letter B.

"Come in", he said, leaving the door open, but without walking in.

I nodded and slowly stepped inside, looking around shyly.

It was an average apartment, kind of small, but it was neat and tastefully decorated. The colors of the walls and the fabrics weren’t shocking, but they weren’t bland and neutral like the ones I well remembered from the apartment that Sho and I shared for more than two years.

There was a big room, which appeared to be the living room, two doors, and an American style kitchen, directly connected to the living room.

I looked at Sho.

"This is where I live", he said.

"What happened to the other apartment?"

"I sold it. My teacher’s salary isn’t enough to pay for a place like that", he laughed.

I looked around again, scanning the apartment, then I focused on Sho.

"Is this... what you wanted me to see?"

He nodded.

"I wanted you to see with your own eyes just how much my life has changed"

A strange feeling came over me.

On the one hand, I was glad to see things were going well for him and that he had been able to change his life. More than likely, he was much happier now, even when he had said that the company had been his dream for years.

But, on the other hand, I felt sad and miserable. So much so that I wanted to cry and yell at him, asking why he hadn’t been able to change while we were still together. Everything would have been different between us if he had closed his company in time; we would have been able to save our relationship, I was sure of that.

I clenched my fists, holding in the anger and tears, and took a deep breath. Yelling wouldn’t be of any use, and it wasn’t like I had the right to, after betraying him as I had a year ago.

"Come with me", he said, interrupting my thoughts. "I’ll show you around"

I nodded silently and followed him.

"This is the bathroom", he explained, opening a door. "As you can see, it’s a small room, but I suppose it’s enough for one person"

"Well, you have an ofuro, that’s already more than my mom’s bath has", I commented.

"Yeah, I guess I can’t complain", he said opening the second door, just next to the first one. "This is the bedroom"

I shyly popped my head in, almost afraid of entering such a private space, and I noticed the bed was larger than necessary for a single person.

"You have a double bed", I observed.

"Yeah, well... you know... sometimes you don’t feel like sleeping alone..."

His face turned a bright shade of red as he lowered his head in a shy gesture. I couldn’t help laughing.

"I was teasing you", I said.

In reality, it had been my way of finding out if he had a partner.

I took another look at the bedroom and noticed there were two bedside tables, which I interpreted as he was actually thinking of sharing that bed with someone, someday. But what really caught my attention were not the tables themselves, but what I saw on top of one of them: my blue, fish-shaped clock. And beside it, a picture of Sho and I that we had taken in Kasumigaura.

Without asking for permission to enter the most private room in his house, my feet moved virtually on their own to the bedside table and took the clock in my hands, staring at it, making sure it was really mine.

There was no doubt about it. Of course it was.

"Sho...", I started to say.

"I kept it, like you asked me to", he interrupted, speaking in a low voice, almost a whisper.

A shiver traveled down my spine. I hadn’t even realized that, at some point, he had followed me into the bedroom and was standing behind me. Now I felt his warm breath on my neck and heard him speaking in my ear.

I had missed his voice so much.

I wanted to turn around and hug him, never let him go. But, once again, he stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms from where he was, hiding his face between my neck and collarbone.

"Satoshi...", he whispered against my skin. "I miss you..."

I let the clock fall to the floor and turned around in his arms, clinging to him as if it were the last time I would see him in my life.

"I miss you too...", I sobbed. "I remember you and think about you every single day... every hour... and it hurts, Sho... it hurts so much..."

"It’s not too late. We can try again", he said in a pleading tone.

Why was he the one begging, when I had been the one who had cheated?

"Sho..."

"I’ve already forgotten about it, Satoshi... I got over it a long time ago..."

He tried to step back to look into my eyes, but I didn’t want to let go of him; I was afraid that, if I let him go, he would disappear. I clung to him even more tightly and hid my face in his chest.

"Don’t leave... please... don’t let go of me, Sho... don’t let go..."

He sighed and hugged me protectively, gently stroking my hair.

"I’m not going anywhere", he said. "I’ve changed, Satoshi... I’ve learned to live... Now I’m the owner of my time and... if you want... if you’re able to give me another chance... I can show you that I can make you happy..."

I couldn’t help but starting to cry an ocean of tears.

Feelings crowded inside of me and wouldn’t let me breathe. I had missed him so much, and yet it was him who was begging me, trying to prove that he was worthy of being with me.

"You’ve always made me happy, Sho"

I could see a smile forming on his face as he slowly leaned in and kissed my lips, causing me to throw my arms around his neck in order to stand on my own feet. My legs felt like jelly.

I had missed his kisses so much. The touch of his lips. The warmth of his body. I couldn’t believe I was finally in his arms.

That day was perfect.

We couldn’t restrain ourselves and wound up entangled in bed just before lunch, where we decided to start a new life together, though, for now, I would continue living at my mom’s place.

We wanted to take things easy this time around, going step by step, little by little, completely dedicating ourselves to each other.

Slowly cooking our spicy curry together.


End file.
